Beams | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 12 September 2005 | |||
Genre | Dance [1] | |||
Length | 43:18 | |||
Label | Modular | |||
The Presets chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Beams | ||||
|
Beams is the debut studio album by Australian electronic dance music duo The Presets, released on 12 September 2005 by record label Modular. The album reached No. 55 on the Australian Charts, and was certified gold in Australia.
The album cover was inspired by the one used for Fleetwood Mac's Rumors (1977) album. [2]
The track, ‘Steamworks’, is named after a gay bathhouse in San Francisco Bay Area. The track is still one of the duo’s favourite songs. Julian Hamilton said “The song is just ‘oo’s and ‘ah’s, but it has a strong character -- that’s hard to do,” [2]
The album includes a few instrumental interludes which Kim Moyes says “I think those little interludes [on Beams] are so cool,”, however interlude would only feature on this album due to the band wanting to be "as vocal and up-for-it as possible.” when making their second album, Apocalypso (2008).
In an retrospective interview with the band, Moyes says “I re-listened recently when we had to approve all the masters for its vinyl reissue,”...“And it’s fucking awesome!” he recalled, “In the early days of Modular, there was always talk of, ‘Which producer do you want to work with?’,”...“But we only wanted to do whatever weird thing we do, warts and all. For better or worse, we don’t really sound like anyone else.” “That’s the best thing about Beams,” Hamilton agrees. “It sounds like The Presets.” [2]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Pitchfork | 3.7/10 [3] |
PopMatters | 7/10 [4] |
Rolling Stone | [5] |
The album received mixed to positive reviews. AllMusic called the album an "uneasy yet unforgettable combination of '80s gaudy pop flair and dark, propulsive rave beats". [1] Pitchfork , on the other hand, gave it a low 3.7/10 rating, writing "the most frustrating thing about Beams is that Moyes and Hamilton both know better". [3]
The Guardian gave a three star review and observed, "The Australian duo begin by apeing Michael Jackson's Billie Jean, with singer Julian Hamilton out-grunting Jacko, and conclude with the title track, which features a synthesized banjo. In between, introspective synth-pop shares space with gothic disco and a gnarly rave monster, Hamilton apparently tapping out the beats on his larynx as he sings." concluding, "There is much to enjoy here, but Beams sags under the weight of too many ideas. Perhaps next time we'll get to see behind their masks." [6]
All tracks are written by Julian Hamilton and Kim Moyes, unless otherwise noted
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Steamworks" | 4:36 | |
2. | "Are You the One?" | 3:24 | |
3. | "Down Down Down" | 3:17 | |
4. | "Girl and the Sea" | Samuel Dixon, Hamilton, Moyes | 4:46 |
5. | "Black Background" | 1:39 | |
6. | "Worms" | 4:00 | |
7. | "Kitty in the Middle" | 2:42 | |
8. | "Hill Stuck" | 1:47 | |
9. | "Girl (You Chew My Mind Up)" | 3:52 | |
10. | "I Go Hard, I Go Home" | 5:04 | |
11. | "Bad Up Your Betterness" | Hamilton, Daniel Johns, Moyes | 4:11 |
12. | "Beams" | Hamilton, Daniel Johns, Moyes | 3:42 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
13. | "Kitty in the Middle (Kitty Said)" | 5:43 |
14. | "I Go Hard, I Go Home" (DJ Hell Remix) | 9:11 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "I Go Hard, I Go Home" | 5:04 |
2. | "Kitty in the Middle" (Trombone – Phil Stucky) | 2:42 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Are You the One?" | 3:24 |
2. | "Down Down Down" | 3:17 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Girl and the Sea" (Bass, Guitar – Samuel Dixon, Vocals – Kendal Cuneo) | Samuel Dixon, Hamilton, Moyes | 4:46 |
2. | "Black Background" | 1:39 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Steamworks" | 4:36 | |
2. | "Bad Up Your Betterness" | Hamilton, Daniel Johns, Moyes | 4:11 |
The Presets
Additional musicians
Technical
Chart (2005–2008) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA) [9] | 55 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [10] | Gold | 35,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalogue |
---|---|---|---|---|
Australia | 12 September 2005 | Modular | CD, digital download | MODCD034 |
The Dissociatives were an Australian alternative rock band consisting of Daniel Johns of Silverchair and dance producer and DJ Paul Mac, which formed in mid-2003. They were supported by touring members, Julian Hamilton and Kim Moyes, and James Haselwood. Their first single "Somewhere Down the Barrel" peaked at No. 25 on the ARIA Singles Chart. The duo's debut album The Dissociatives reached No. 12 on the ARIA Albums Chart. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2004 they won two trophies; Best Cover Art for James Hackett's work on The Dissociatives and Best Video for Hackett's direction of "Somewhere Down the Barrel".
Counting Down the Days is the third studio album by Australian singer Natalie Imbruglia. It was released by Brightside Recordings on 4 April 2005 in the United Kingdom. Her debut with the label, Imbruglia reteamed with Gary Clark to work on her next project, but also consulted a wider range of producers to collaborate with her, including Eg White, Martin Harrington, Ben Hillier, Ash Howes, Daniel Johns, David Kosten, Stephen Lipson, Paul Mac, and Ian Stanley.
The Presets are an Australian electronic music duo of Julian Hamilton and Kim Moyes. Formed in 2003 and signed to Modular Records, The Presets released two EPs in advance of their debut album, Beams, released in 2005 to positive critical response. After two years of touring, including as the Australian support for Daft Punk, the band's 2008 release, Apocalypso, debuted at number one on the ARIA Albums Chart, and went on to win six awards at ARIA Awards 2008, including Album of the Year.
Van She are an electropop band formed in 2002 in Sydney, Australia, with Matt Van Schie on bass guitar/vocals, Tomek Archer on drums/sequencer, Michael Di Francesco on synth/guitar and Nicholas Routledge on vocals/guitar. The band's debut album, V was released on the Australian label Modular Recordings in August 2008, and peaked at number 10 on the ARIA Charts.
Please Yourself is the sixth studio album by English pop act Bananarama. It was released on 29 March 1993 by London Records, the group's last release under the label. It is also the first album from Bananarama as a duo – with original members Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward continuing after the departure of Jacquie O'Sullivan in 1991. Please Yourself also reunites Bananarama with two-thirds of the Stock Aitken Waterman production team. Musician Gary Miller was brought in to do keyboards and guitar and would be Bananarama's next collaborator on their next album Ultra Violet. The concept of the album was first suggested by Pete Waterman as 'ABBA-Banana', a record that would feature pop songs in the style of ABBA, but updated for the 1990s.
Blow Up is an EP and the debut release by Australian electronic dance music duo The Presets, released in November 2003 by record label Modular.
Girl and the Sea is the second EP by Australian electronic dance music duo The Presets released on Modular Records on 1 November 2004. The EP reached No. 6 on the AIR charts and at No. 20 on the ARIA Hitseekers Charts. The vocals for the song were sung by Julian Hamilton and recorded by The Presets in Kim Moyes' small apartment bathroom. The song was included on the duo's debut studio album Beams, and was also featured in the TV series The O.C.
Julian Thomas Hamilton is an Australian singer-songwriter and keyboardist, who, with bandmate Kim Moyes, formed the electronica duo, The Presets in 2003. They have issued four studio albums, Beams, Apocalypso, Pacifica, and Hi Viz. Both were previously members of another electronic group, Prop, which released two albums, Small Craft Rough Sea (2001) and Cook Cut Damage Destroy. Hamilton has also worked as a session and touring member of Silverchair (2001–2003) and The Dissociatives (2004). At the APRA Music Awards of 2008 Hamilton and Daniel Johns won Song of the Year and Most Played Australian Work for Silverchair's single, "Straight Lines". In 2009 Hamilton and Moyes won Songwriters of the Year for their work on Apocalypso for The Presets.
Kimberley Isaac Moyes is an Australian musician, producer, mix engineer, composer, songwriter, DJ and one half of the Sydney-based electronica duo, The Presets. Moyes provides synthesizers and drums, as well as engineering, production and songwriting. The Presets have released two EPs and four full-length albums. Moyes also records and performs as a solo artist under the aliases K.I.M, KIM and alongside Melbourne veteran DJ Mike Callander as one half of Zero Percent
Universal Music Australia Pty Ltd. (UMA) is the largest Australian music corporation. It is a division of the Universal Music Group. Universal Music Australia's corporate headquarters are located in Sydney, Australia.
Apocalypso is the second studio album by Australian electronic dance music duo The Presets. The album was released by record label Modular on 12 April 2008 in Australia, on 13 May in the United States, and 2 June in the United Kingdom. The album features the singles "My People", "This Boy's in Love", "Talk Like That", "Yippiyo-Ay", "If I Know You" and "Kicking and Screaming".
"My People" is the first single from Australian electronic music duo the Presets' second album Apocalypso. The song was nominated for two ARIA Awards, Single of the Year and Best Video. It won the latter.
"Talk Like That" is a song by Australian electronic music duo the Presets, released as the third from their second studio album, Apocalypso (2008). The song was written by duo members Julian Hamilton and Kim Moyes and released in September 2008. Moyes has described the track as "a calypso house track with these weird cathedral organs, techno tom toms and a ballsy bassline."
Rave On Buddy Holly is a compilation album by various artists released on June 28, 2011, through Fantasy Records/Concord Music Group and Hear Music. A tribute album to musician Buddy Holly, who died in a plane crash in 1959 at age 22, the title refers to the song "Rave On", one of his biggest hits. Contributing artists included Paul McCartney, who owned Holly's publishing catalog at the time of the album's release, and Graham Nash, a former member of The Hollies, who were named in commemoration of Holly.
Pacifica is the third studio album by Australian electronic duo The Presets. The album was released in Australia by Modular Recordings on 7 September 2012. It was released the following week by Casablanca / Universal Republic. The album features the singles "Youth in Trouble", "Ghosts", "Promises", "Fall" and "Push". The album was Triple J's Feature Album, Radar Radio's Feature Album and Fbi Radio's Sunset Album. The album was produced by The Presets and mixed by Tony Hoffer. The track "Ghosts" featured on the soundtrack of FIFA 13.
Exile is the second studio album by English synth-pop duo Hurts. It was released on 8 March 2013 by Major Label. The album was produced by Hurts, along with Jonas Quant—with whom the duo worked on their debut album, Happiness (2010)—and Dan Grech-Marguerat. "Miracle" was released on 11 January 2013 as the lead single from the album, followed by "Blind" on 10 May 2013 and "Somebody to Die For" on 21 July 2013. Upon release, Exile debuted at number nine on the UK Albums Chart, while charting inside the top 10 in eight other countries.
"Are You the One?" is the lead single by Australian electronic dance music duo The Presets, from their debut studio album Beams. The single backed with non-album tracks "Truth and Lies" and "Midnight Boundary", as well a remix of "Girl and the Sea" by Cut Copy was released on 24 October 2005. The song peaked at No. 68 on the ARIA singles charts.
"Remember" is a song recorded by Greek-Swedish DJ and music producer Steve Angello for his debut studio album, "Wild Youth". It features Australian electronic duo, The Presets.
Hi Viz is the fourth studio album by Australian electronic duo The Presets. The album was released in Australia by Modular Recordings on 1 June 2018.
Gloria is the fourth studio album by English singer and songwriter Sam Smith, released on 27 January 2023 through Capitol Records. The album serves as a follows-up to Love Goes (2020). Smith took creative control on the album, resulting in gaining an increasingly provocative image in the public eye. Musically, Gloria is a pop album, with lyrical themes of sex, lies, passion, self-expression, and imperfection.