Stuff and other stuff.

Hi again,
I know, I'm rubbish at keeping up with blogs so I'll forgive you if you've wandered off- if you'll forgive me and come back once in a while :)

What's happened? Well..
It's turning out to be a  weird year. It started out massively promising with collaborations coming out of my ears. 'Higher' was a  huge huge hit and in a  couple of weeks we'll see just how big- and whether or not I can afford to mod my car..well, maybe just a  new gearstick will suffice. We'll see.

At Easter we learned that one of our four beloved cats, Charlie had the beginnings of terminal cancer. I won't depress you with the details too much but 2 1/2 months later it had spread throughout him,and although he still had some quality of life,  he needed hand feeding and watering  for two heartbreaking weeks and eventually we lost him, with help, near the end of June. 6 years with him after we brought him in as a  bedraggled, bleeding, terrified stray- nursing  him through injuries into a  playful, mad, happy little man with a  gigantic character, was not long enough, but I'm so glad that he came to find us. We will miss him very much.

But things are picking up again- after a slight lull in collaborations, songs are coming in again and the tremendous label Tactal Hots offered me a  chance to add vocals to a track written by a  very talented songwriter, James O Neill. They were very happy with the result and stepped things up, asking me to write the vocal section for another song which has turned out extremely well..I think their response was that they thought it was 'awesome'. So hopefully we have started something really exciting here.

Two songs have been finished with Derek Williams. I forget now if I'd already mentioned 'Sanity', a  great dance track that we smithed together- 'Void' followed it up which is just as fabulous but with ore of an 80s feel this time. Tracks are to be released as 'Izzie Voodoo And the People'.

There are other songs in the pipeline now which I'm having to fanagle in order to fit in with things but in the meantime I decided (on the advice of a  venue promoter) to add a  cover song (something normally I detest to be honest) into the Tokyo Witch Hunt set. We have decided to interchange songs according to venues and audiences but the first to come out of the bag is 'A Forest' by The Cure. Here's the link  https://soundcloud.com/tokyowitchhunt/a-forest-cure-cover .

Finally for now is the news that after 2  years' obligatory training time, I have passed my 2nd Dan promotion in Kickboxing. Since the embroidery company first cut the end of my belt at a strange angle and then proceded to get both dan bars wonky, I am told I'm henceforth known as 'Crooked Dan'!!

For anyone unaware of the general grading system with martial arts, there are 10 kyu grades leading to black which signifies the ability to understand and know fully all the 'basics' of a discipline..and then Dan grades follow from there and are sometimes regarded as being equal to academic degrees. I passed with 96%.  So I'm pretty happy with that :) Here's to the next 3  years!
Catch you soon x

'Higher's Top 20 Hit, 'Ace's label contract And LOTS Of other exciting stuff.

Heyyy,
Just a  chance for you to catch up with what's been going on in the Voodoo camp lately.

'Higher' /'Dusk In the Woods' single, which was released early on Audio Animals label on April 27th (because of excitement  due to massive interest) finally reached number 20 in the Juno Charts, 'Higher' being in the DNB section, 'Dusk..' in the Dubstep. A budget video was also released to Youtube for both songs which astonished all of us by getting a  whopping 36,000 hits in 5 days just for the one attached to 'Higher'.
Audio Animals is a young London Dance label, but clearly with huge clout and myself and KSK are extremely proud to be associated with them and grateful for the huge effort they attached to our release.

'Ace', (written by myself, Phil Webster, (an established writer battling through Parkinsons Disease), and Peter Falconer, (who featured for 3 years as vocal coach on The X Factor)) is an entirely different genre, highly poppy and aimed at the eastern bubble pop market. It has generated enormous interest from very large labels and from several very well known artists wanting to release it as their own- but we haven't yet quite had a deal we've all been happy with- but, wheels are in motion to view a writer's contract to release it to very wide promotion...so we will see in the next few weeks.

Another track has been added to the album with Mark Sheppard of The Offering and three of the tracks can now be heard at Soundcloud in the Izzie Voodoo And the Offering set here https://soundcloud.com/izzievoodoo/sets/izzie-voodoo-the-offering .

Dance track 'Sanity' written by myself and Derek Williams has been completed, sounds amazing and we are considering where to go from here, but there will be follow ups in this collaboration too.

I have a  track sitting on my hard drive from an excellent DNB team, Recs DNB, also attached to Audio Animals label, which is due for my vocal writing and recording, and that will begin shortly.

Marxmyth and myself have almost completed a  second song for the Voodoo Myth collaboration, the first being 'Wired'...entitled 'Ice Castles' and finally (I think)..

I am currently completing the vocal writing and recording of a  trance track with Andre Ahuis, a  magical producer from Germany/USA which we hope will have some kind of stunningly exciting news by the end of the summer.

I'm told I'm doing a  kickboxing photoshoot for something or other on Sunday so we may possibly see some great, professional looking action shots soon too...exciting, innit??

Take care guys...love..Izzie.

'Higher' / 'Dusk In The Woods' is at number 30 in the Juno charts ....

This is excellent news...the Juno charts are notoriously difficult to climb so we are ecstatic!! Massive massive thanks if you have already helped by downloading! If you haven't, please do so....here are the links:

'Higher': (KSK/ Voodoo)

http://www.junodownload.com/products/kaptain-spacekase-izzie-voodoo-tokyo-witch-higher/2187393-02/?trackid=1&utm_source=microplayer&utm_medium=embedded_micro_player_get_tracks_button&utm_campaign=embedded_micro_player_microplayer

'Dusk In the Woods' (Voodoo) Remixed by KSK

http://www.junodownload.com/products/kaptain-spacekase-izzie-voodoo-tokyo-witch-higher/2187393-02/?trackid=2

THANK YOU!!

Upcoming Releases and Stuff on my Hard Drive for you!

OK Guys, it's been too long again, I know but as ever lots has been happening.
My collaboration with Kaptain Spacecase ('Higher') which is drum and bass, is to be released 6th May on Audio Animals record label, backed with a  b side, KSK's dubstep remix of the Tokyo Witch Hunt 'Dusk In The Woods' . Now they have been professionally mastered they are both really terrific tracks.

There will be a  video available for both songs shortly and all releases are to be heavily promoted, beginning with airplay on Kool.fm, the worlds biggest drum and bass station, this weekend. We are hoping that it will do well in the Juno charts...you can sign up to be notified when it releasese below.

http://www.junodownload.com/products/kaptain-spacekase-izzie-voodoo-tokyo-witch-higher/2187393-02/


The current collaborations on my screen include a  great track, (an addition to the beginning of an album with Marx Myth (Australia)), an absolute killer of a vocal house/pop type track with excellent  instrumentals totally unlike his usual Jan Doyle Band material, from Derek Williams and a rather wonderful trance song that I have sketched with Andre A, an established producer from Germany who has had songs released on many huge labels, this, being aimed at Armada music amongst others..... so hold on to your hats.... and get yourself added to the list above :) Catch you soon. Izzie x

www.izzievoodoo.com    www.tokyowitchhunt.com

Izzie co-writing House tracks with Sheffield based label

Back in the studio for the first Dyer Records song....euppphhoria city — with Gareth Dye.

This comes after a  month in the studio  on the first highly addictive track with Australian MarxMyth 'Wired', another addition to the Offering album with Mark Sheppard in the form of a  very cool 'The Voodoo Cure', and a  cheesey bubble gum pop track 'Champagne' written for the Asian market with Phil Webster.

Next news is that Audio Animals are to release 'Higher', the first co-written track between myself and KSK, producer of Audio Animals Label (Kent) with his liquid dubstep remix of my (Tokyo Witch Hunt) track 'Dusk In The Woods' as B Side in April (possibly 22nd but tbc).

Tokyo Witch Hunt are to play the first gig with Sabian Jon Hardcastle in place on keyboards and backing vocals on 22nd March at The Fenton in Leeds alongside Jan Doyle Band   and Spekkulus. Door charge is 4 pounds. Doors 8pm.

UPDATE..Yeah, I HAVE been busy :)

If anyone is interested to see what I've actually been doing this last four months in the Dubstep, Drum and Bass, Electro scene, there are 'cut short' tasters of various collaborations and a couple of songs that have been kindly and brilliantly remixed here at the newfangled www.izzievoodoo.com . Would be nice to see what you think.

Most of them are soon to be attached to various record labels or publishers and Tokyo Witch Hunt's album is currently being reviewed for promotion into TV ads. More updates as I have them for you....oh and I've finally started grading for my 2nd Dan...yesss bring it on.

Trance, dance and back to stance ...gone blonde again

Thought I'd have a  change to match my trance/dance/whatever twist in musical direction.

Snowed into the studio, and...

Massive thank yous to The Unsigned Side and MTMBroadcasting for playing 'Burn Down (electricity mix)' and 'Dusk in the Woods' respectively over the weekend. The response from The Spacekase Show’s listeners in particular was immense.

I'm told The Spacekase Show (MTM) are also to play 'Girl Star' on Friday, and Kaptain Spacekase's astounding, liquid dubstep remix of 'Dusk in the Woods' will also air shortly.

Mark Johnson from www.silverfactorysuperstars.com has produced a superb, exciting 80's style remix of my 'Here Is The Light' which comes in three forms, 'Illuminate mix', 'Extended Illuminate' and 'Instrumental Illuminate'. We are working out how to release these, but it is some excellent work.

I cannot thank these people enough (and Jaspa at MTM) and their listeners enough for their tremendous support.

In other news, my collaboration song with Kaptain Spacekase  is now in full flow and sounding mint. It will be finished on my part by midweek, and is then to be mastered by Audio Animals http://www.audioanimals.co.uk/ in London with a (fingers crossed) view to them releasing it later.

There is also talk of AA releasing ‘Dusk In the Woods’ as a single alongside 2 cracking remixes…early days but I will keep you posted.

Collaboration Update

Well, just to say that track 6 of my album collab with the very talented Mark Sheppard from The Offering (Cambridge UK) is in the bag. The tracks frankly just get cooler and the album gets hotter. I'm so enjoying this twisty turny genre rollercoaster. There are 2 more on my to do list at the moment but I suspect we won't want to stop there.

Kaptain Spacekase is to play 'Dusk In The Woods' from the new Tokyo Witch Hunt album 'Eclectic Electric' on his MTM Broadcasting show this Friday 8-10pm, and I will appear on his 3 Track Takeova with my 3 favourite D and B/ Dance etc tracks in a couple of weeks, ranting about why I like the ones I've picked to play.

He has also brilliantly remixed it so we wait to see if his label would like it with a potential to go to video.

Following that I will  also be starting a  vocal writing session on a  collab with the Kaptain shortly.

Oh, and They have put me in the New Barnsley Museum...erghum.... well, they have put me into the Sound Archives as one of the best 50 musicians to come out of the town.. nice eh? and many thanks to those who suggested I was included.

And I am about to turn blonde again :)


All good..catch you soon x

Just coming up for Air!

HEY! Happy New Year!

(No, it's not a  pipe before you start)
Well, my apologies for a  MASSIVE delay  in ranting about what I'm up to but I AM actually trying to find times when I can breathe at the moment. Excitement abound,  here's the lowdown...(and let's hope it hasn't snowed before you get to the end.)

• I am in the final stages of confirming the shift of my three weekly kickboxing classes within the club to a  new venue, a  proper boxing gym where everyone will benefit from the superb facilities so I'm attempting to get that organised ..everyone is pretty excited!

• The knee has been a bitch of late since I stopped Hydro, so I am back on programme 2 in an attempt to sort it out and class 2 was this morning. Utterly brilliant with the dreaded 'guest' Physio and I loved every minute.

So, to Music......Music Has Gone WILD.

• The Tokyo Witch Hunt album, 'Eclectic Electric' is on iTunes (as you know) and at various other places and getting downloads. Following far more people than I imagined wanting it on CD, I have some limited CDs currently in production, with nice fancy artwork, waiting for the new gigs when we start them.
•  I have decided that I will turn down any gigs that are low key and pub style because they are bad for morale and a waste of everyone's time (except the few who are good enough to turn out) so we will only do quality shows. Waiting, waiting...
• Johnny Normal, who regularly supports Adam and The Ants, Blancmange, Altered Images and Glitter Band on tour has asked me numerous  times to share a stage with him (as Tokyo Witch Hunt) and we are determined to get that sorted this year.

• 'Burn Down' from the album reached number 6 yesterday in the Sheffield Pop charts on Reverbnation. NO, of course it's little more than a minute achievement, but it's a positive pointer and that is all that counts.

• '(Here Is) The Light' is currently being remixed (actually ENTIRELY remixed with a  different feel) by Mark Johnson of Silver Factory Superstars who are described as "one of Britain’s brightest pop music hopes", so I am frantic to see what he does with it.

• I am currently writing track 6 of the Izzie Voodoo And The Offering album ( with the tremendous Mark Sheppard (Cambridge) providing instrumentation and myself providing vocals, lyrics, melody and guitars), and that is proving to be immense..a total mixture of genres but nailed together with a definite electronica theme and influences pulling from all over the place from blues to industrial. Track 6, though, is without question Gary Numanesque.

• All Over It Records (Sheffield) Currently have a  dance track which features my vocals (the most challenging vocal project I've done to date) working into a mix for a much bigger record label's interest, and have also put it out to a  second DJ for a further second mix so I'm waiting on updates for that.
• I am shortly to start work on vocals, melody etc for at track with Phil Webster, a great electronic songwriter from Bradford.

• and (I think) finally  there are to be one or two collabs with Kaptain Spacekase (signed to a  London based record label), Producer of drum n bass, dubstep, guitarist and music maestro of the superb hip hop band Zipheadz... The Kaptain is a 'descendant' of my beloved Kentish city, Rochester so there's a bit of a sugary 'aww' factor built into that one.

..and someone has just thrown a  job at me......I have been head hunted :/

Hope 13 is treating you all well,

Izz xx