Angels of Libra!

Dennis and Nathan from Hamburg, Germany-based cinematic soul collective Angels of Libra join me for a chat about sci-fi albums, Alice Cooper's manager, Greek mythology, exploding studios, concept albums, glockenspiel overdubs, Rudyard Kipling poetry, and more!

Check out Angels of Libra!

Websites: https://angelsoflibra.com/ | https://yeahyeahyeahstudios.de/

Social: https://www.instagram.com/angelsoflibra | https://www.facebook.com/angelsoflibraofficial | https://www.instagram.com/sionhillmusic

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Transcript

SPEAKER_05 0:00

Before we start today's episode of the 40 Minutes of Funk podcast, I'd like to remind you that this show is listener supported via Patreon. Starting at only$5 per month, Patreon members get special backstage access and actually get to help shape the podcast by interacting with, helping suggest, and securing guests. They also get early ad-free access to new episodes and often bonus content like exclusive recordings and more. To join the team, please visit Patreon.com slash 40 Minutes of Funk and sign up today. Thanks. Today's guests represent a Hamburg, Germany-based cinematic soul collective, fresh on the heels of an all-new studio album for early 2026 that teams them up once again with an Irish singer-songwriter with whom they've had success before. This new album is a 12-track analog soul odyssey that bridges the classic and the contemporary. Musically, the new record sits somewhere between Curtis Mayfield and Ineo Morricone, with modern echoes of Jungle and Duran Jones and the indications. And though today's show will veer into a more soulful side, there's still plenty of funky stuff to hear and talk about. Joining us today to give us the skinny on this new shared project and more are Dennis Rux from Angels of Libra, singer-songwriter Nathan Johnston. Welcome to 40 Minutes of Funk, guys. Yo, yo, yeah. So where are each of you guys calling in from today?

SPEAKER_01 1:56

Well, I'm in Hamburg at uh our mixing studio.

SPEAKER_00 2:00

Okay, and that's Dennis. And um I am in Dublin in my apartment, fresh off the plane from Hamburg. I was with Dennis just two days ago. So uh I do a lot of travel in between uh Hamburg and Dublin. It's kind of like a second home for me. But now I'm back in my back in my real home, back to the rain. I imagine.

SPEAKER_05 2:19

So what what's the uh travel time for uh like for you going back and forth?

SPEAKER_00 2:24

It's a it's an hour 50 minute flight, so it's pretty pretty quick. Uh airports always pretty easy. I try and avoid the Ryanair planes. For those of you who don't know Ryanair, but it's actually an Irish company that has budget-friendly flights and they leave at 5 a.m., 6 a.m. the red eye flights. Wow. So they're very cheap, it's easy for me to get there, but um yeah, it's not the most comfortable, and it it's generally a very long day if you get in a plane and end up in the studio three hours later, and you have you know, we're there recording music until late into the night. It's it it can be tiring. So this time I flew with the uh a more traditional uh airline, and it was very comfortable.

SPEAKER_05 3:04

Yeah, well, we're glad to get you on the show. I hope that uh it's a relaxing uh interview for you considering all of that. Yeah. Well, I'd like to start things off by thanking Jada Peralini from Will Work for Funk and especially Alexander Domish from Waterfall Records for coordinating with me to get you guys on the show today. Over the past several years, Jada has sent me numerous new recordings by the Angels of Libra, which I've been happy to play on my radio show, Tonic the Funky Group Show. Uh so when she shared the the news about this new album of yours, I knew the time was right to reach out and talk with you and get you on the podcast. And of course, Alex from Waterfall Records has been great for coordinating all the details with you guys. Thank you both for being my guests today on 40 Minutes of Funk.

SPEAKER_00 3:52

Yeah, thanks for having us.

SPEAKER_05 3:54

Yeah, yeah. Well, to get things started, um, why don't you guys each introduce yourselves and tell us about your roles in Angels of Libra? You want to take it, Dennis?

SPEAKER_01 4:06

Um, yeah, I can I can start. So um I'm Dennis and I'm coordinating the whole production process. This is also where the whole idea came from. Was uh my studio, which is an analog studio. Um, I was trying to work in a kind of way like uh the old funk brothers did or the wrecking crew. So I thought it would be very, very handy to try to get together a nice studio band that's available for different projects. Okay, and um so the idea actually was to hit the record button just with these studio musicians, and uh we caught something and then sent it out to different singers. So the whole thing started like it's a studio project. Okay, and uh we've done some collaborations and then um we started working with Nate, and um with Nate it was um like very very tight and worked very well, and it's also he came up with the song Angel of Libra, which I thought I could make a good band name if we make a band out of it. So uh then actually we started touring, and um now we have uh Nate and Zarifa as our like steady main vocals, so on touring is al always both of them, and um yeah, it feels more like a band now.

SPEAKER_05 5:45

Yeah. Well, so what roles do you play specifically in the band, Dennis?

SPEAKER_01 5:51

Well, yeah, but apart from being the music producer, so I do we the recordings and I also try to organize especially um everything related to recording, which means like uh asking around in the collective. The Angels is actually a big collective of musicians. So I always check out this song might fit uh David on bus very well, but the next one could also fit uh Laurent and um trying to coordinate this and um and uh yes, of course, I'm also the guitarist. Okay, so um I'm also uh of course joining on tour and play the guitar.

SPEAKER_05 6:38

Okay, and Nathan, what about you? Uh I mean, and clearly you're a singer-songwriter, but uh how what are your roles with the band?

SPEAKER_00 6:47

Yeah, so I mean I mean Dennis kind of brought me into this uh project just as he explained it pretty well in a very short time because you could write a probably a book about this band. Um but uh at the beginning I was just kind of coming in as a a once-off, you know, collaborating on one song. I I signed with a Hamburg bass record label when I was 19 years old, okay, and um went and recorded an album there with a bunch of amazing musicians in uh in this studio. Myself and Dennis bumped into each other in this studio. Uh so we you know we we talked about working together and having this, you know, collaborating on something. Uh so it started out. I I was just a collaborator, like singing on one song. As Dennis pointed out, we you know ended up naming the band after this this one song. Um, and then I flew out to Hamburg again and went to the studio, and we ended up, I think we recorded three or four tracks that day. No real idea of what was gonna happen there. Um, and you know, I think a few weeks later, Dennis came back to me and said, I I love it. And I've you know been talking with some guys and we just recorded some strings and uh what do you think about it? And he sent me the songs and I was blown away. And I he said, You want to do you want to do an album? So we ended up recording a whole album. And uh at that time for me it was like a side project. I also have my own solo uh projects. I'm working on various different projects all the time, and uh you know it we started going on tour, was never really the plan was to do any of this. As Dennis pointed out, it was meant to be a studio band, actually. Um, so then we started playing some shows, and it just felt really good, and the vibe on stage is always amazing. Our last Hamburg show, we had I think 17 people on stage, uh so towards the end of the concert, and it was this big soul review concept. So lots of different singers coming on, different bass players joining. You know, the drummer will hop off and onto the percussion, and then a different drummer comes on the stage. We had four keys players, um, and everything is uh all of these musicians are all into funk soul, jazz, analog uh recording techniques, and um it felt really right for me. That's the music I've grown up with, and uh yeah, you know, now I've kind of joined, as Dennis said, as uh one of the two lead singers of the band, and uh we started writing uh songs together over the last few years. At the beginning, it was more of a studio band that came to me with instrumentals, and I added uh vocals and uh lyrics and vocal melodies. Um, but now it's it's turned into something else where we're actually gone into the studio and wrote all together in the one room. So I've very much become part of the band and now we work all together. Dennis omitted many other things that he does in this band because without him it it wouldn't uh be continuing. Uh uh he's like the main driving force from not just the music producer and the guitar player, but we also work uh closely together on booking all the shows, organizing the tours, driving the van, uh everything, all the all the videos. So there's there's a lot that everyone out there who does music or uh is in a band knows how much goes into uh you know being a successful touring band, at least selling tickets for a show, it takes a lot of work. Yeah. Um, so now I've become part of of the band, and and this new album we decided to uh you know the first record it was Nathan Johnston and the Angels of Libra, and it was clearly a collaborative album. And this new one is now Angels of Libra. So it's kind of okay. I I suppose we're kind of standing on our own two feet in a way, and uh going forward as a unit, and it really feels like that. Although the collective is still very much there, um, yeah, it's like a it's like a real band now, and it feels really good.

SPEAKER_05 10:44

So you finally committed to the band. You you you can call yourself a part of the band, huh?

SPEAKER_00 10:50

Yeah, I'm an angel now.

SPEAKER_05 10:52

You're an angel. Well, Dennis, who who else is in this band? Who are the other angels that make up Angels of Libra and uh what are their roles?

SPEAKER_01 11:04

Well, there's actually like uh as I said, a lot of people involved, but uh let's say there's a core, the core of the band, uh, which is also Zarifa, she's um doing the female lead vocal. Not many songs released with her yet, but it's a lot in the pipeline. Then we've got uh Mark Norton on saxophone and flute, and um that was a funny story. Uh X player from uh debut recording, he's playing into a lot of projects, and uh it was just a way to I think it was Columbia for four months in a row or something, so I couldn't get him for live touring. And what I did was I was uh putting up a post on Facebook just saying, like, uh do you guys know a sex player? I I knew some people sex players, but they were all engaged and um he put up this post and two minutes, it took me two minutes, and he got this message from uh Mr. Mark Norton, who uh just moved from uh London to Hamburg, okay and said, Oh, oh well, I'm playing uh saxophone soul bands since 40 years or something, and um just came to the Hamburg and uh saw your host, and uh I had the angels on my monitor uh for a longer time. So um I said, Oh, that's perfect. So we met up in the cafe, and uh I remember I was uh so he came on his um his vespa, you know, yeah with uh very nice modish look, and uh completely fell in love with the idea of having Mr. Mark Norton in the band. So he's now like part of the uh core of the band. So let's say those uh four of us we do the most language together, and there's also um Chris on the piano, and he was one of the founding members, like the the one who was there on the very first session. Okay, and um Chris is uh Chris is like a wizard. He is a wizard, yeah, he's a wizard, he's really into uh at the same time hammered organs but also uh synthesizers. Okay, so um synthesizers play a big role on two of our records, it doesn't place such a big role on our live gigs, because on the live gigs we concentrate more on the like real six is all kind of stuff, but uh we made uh two records which were more influenced by some kind of uh science fiction for futuristic ideas, yeah. And um, this was a record where I met with Chris a lot of times because I have some old synthesizers from the 70s, he's got some old synthesizers, and we both share the uh the love for old tape echoes. So there was a like a lot of synthesis tape echoes going on. Nice so we we got a nerd a nerd thing going with a nerd thing going, and yeah, and then I'm I'm always hoping that he has time for touring. Sometimes he hasn't, so then if he isn't available, uh we used to work with uh Svenja. Svenja lived in Hamburg but now has moved to Munich, which is like the opposite side of Germany. It's okay 800 kiloviles or something, but uh yeah, still she joined on some uh tours when Chris couldn't do it, and it's always uh pleasure to have her in the band. She's like really rock and roll.

SPEAKER_02 15:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:10

And uh next, let's say uh drummers. We've got a lot of drummers, actually. The whole thing, yeah. The whole thing started, the whole thing started with Lucas. I played together with Lucas in another project, it's called the Hamburg Spinners.

SPEAKER_05 15:26

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know those. I've played that on my show as well. Uh the the magic, yeah, the magic kraken. That's a great record, by the way.

SPEAKER_01 15:35

The Hamburg Spinners actually is exactly the same band as the band that started the Angels thing, because it was born at the same at the same time. And um but a different keys player, a different keys player, yeah. Although um Castle worked with on some Angels recordings, uh I invited him to play as well. So it's all very messy. It's all the same kind of people, but it's different projects.

SPEAKER_05 16:05

Got it.

SPEAKER_01 16:06

And yeah, I'm a big fan of Lucas. He is like Mr. Pocket. He's got this uh miniature pocket groove. You can tell, like like a clock or something.

SPEAKER_02 16:20

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 16:20

And he's always real uh good fun to play with. So he was in the starting band, and on each record he had some of the tracks. So I I keep on working with him. Although Tru Wing almost never works uh time-wise with him because he's got uh, let's say, bigger projects. Gotcha, and the bigger projects always have two years up won't have their dates and the calendar, and we are DRY, so everything is late. Um that's a big problem, but uh that's also the the solving of this problem is having this collective, so you always have a second or third drummer to ask. Um yeah, so the second drummer would be um Henry. Henry, he played on this record a lot, and Henry is uh uh a younger drummer um who has been to New Orleans for uh studying drums. Oh wow, playing a lot with those playing a lot with those um New Orleans musicians. So he's really into it's really nice. Each time I'm I'm looking for say uh a kind of more American vibe in the drums, and going for Henry. Nice and um yeah, that was big fun, and I worked on a lot a lot of projects with him. Also, I'm I'm mixing his organ project, he organ uh trio as well, and yeah, it's all combined, you know. The yeah uh most musicians I know from recording with them. And so each time I think oh, we go together well, and it's an interesting player. I surely asked them to contribute something to recordings for the angels.

SPEAKER_05 18:15

It sounds like there's no shortage of musicians on the roster. This this helps me understand better because I assumed there was sort of a set cast of musicians who played, and the word collective that you used is really uh appropriate because you've got so many people to call on for different things. Right. So, Nathan, when you're in the studio or on stage, are you solely singing or are you playing an instrument as well?

SPEAKER_00 18:41

I also play the guitar and uh I play some keys on the last couple of songs because Chris wasn't free, or I can't even remember why, but I ended up having to learn all the like the hardest songs on the keys like three days before the show. Uh so yeah, uh but yeah, mainly I'm singing actually. This, you know, I when I play on my own, if I play solo or with any other band projects, I'm always playing the guitar as well. Um, and when I started with The Angels, I was just singing. Um, but we have a lot of uh songs with a second guitar, and as you know, when you go on tour with eight, nine, ten people, you know, the guitarists. So we'd love we'd love to have a four-piece horn section there, but it's not always possible. So I'm filling in a lot of those uh extra guitar parts. Gotcha. And uh but mainly mainly uh singing and and backing vocals, uh and in the studio, the same thing. The the newest record I play guitar on quite a few songs. Nice um, but uh yeah, mainly mainly on the vocals, and uh yeah, that's a real that's a nice way of working it's something I'm not used to. I started writing songs when I was like I don't know, 10, 11 years old or something, and it was always on a piano or on the acoustic guitar or whatever was lying around, I would write with the instrument, and um you know, occasionally you might start with the lyrics, whatever, but in this project it was here's some instrumentals, do what you want. Oh, nice. And you know, I didn't play any instruments, so I had to kind of really go deep into story and verse, and um yeah, I was reading a lot of uh classical um poetry and old like ancient Greek stuff, and and was very inspired by that. And actually, the first record, I think that a lot of the songs had these strange titles that really related somehow to uh Greek and and Roman classics. So I tried to infuse that a little bit in the writing. So there's always kind of a theme in each album that we've done, I suppose. And uh uh when it comes to bringing it to the stage, it's such a varied uh catalogue that we have, so it's always an interesting thing. So I'm on the stage generally, I'm I'm singing, but I you know I'll I'll play the guitar to fill in those bits, and it's it's lovely also to play the guitar and some of the you know, we do a uh a cover of um I'm a good woman, and I uh yeah, this is so much fun to play to play the guitar on myself and Dennis and uh whoever our bass player is on the day, are always uh it's a lot of fun, yeah. So yeah, it gets funky up there sometimes.

SPEAKER_05 21:27

I I can imagine, especially with so many talented musicians uh available. So this band name Angel or Angels of Libra, you said earlier this came from a song that you wrote. What was the the impetus behind this uh and the idea that turned into the band name? Where is this Angels of Libra come from?

SPEAKER_00 21:52

So yeah, I mean that that song uh obviously it relates to the star sign and the astrological sign the the Libra it was actually a song about an an an ex-girlfriend and uh unrequited uh love or kind of a that that you know that sort of thing um but again you know I was uh digging really deep into this whole uh these song titles some of the song titles Dennis had sent me were uh Phaedrus or remember Icarus was in there a bunch of uh unusual names and I I was kind of like reading Jericho there was a lot of um reference to classical myth and um you know I I'm very interested in that and I studied uh classical study so I I was trying to dig into that world and the angel of Libra there's kind of it represents sort of hope and uh uh this balance this symbol of of balance um so there was kind of that that part of it I I didn't choose it to be you know I didn't intend it to be a band name actually at all it was just the name of a song and and uh it at the beginning is like I I remember watching this documentary about Shep Gordon this famous music manager he managed uh Alice Cooper and Alice Cooper at the beginning of his career was getting booked for all of these country festivals and everyone thought Alice Cooper was this female country artist and then Alice Cooper shows up the real Alice Cooper and everyone got a big shock right so when I first heard this this Angels of Libra I thought okay could it could it kind of you know is there some sort of uh does it sound a bit like a heavy metal band or you know the angels of death or whatever um so I I was a little apprehensive but actually I I think it's a really great name and uh people it catches oh it's pretty catchy and uh also now we can always refer to ourselves as the angels so yeah it's always nice talking about the band or talking to each other you know it's very comfortable yeah talking about ah I'm going tour with the angels yeah yeah well actually um I think uh Nate said it already but uh the thing was like the first uh Angels backing track recording sessions we had no idea who's going to sing so this was actually like an instrumental recording session okay and um all the instrumental bands I'm in what we used to do all of the time is find this kind of a picture a scene like a movie for your for your that you have in mind so and we decided on some Greek mythology it's we we said ah let's let's put this into um the recording session and um try to imagine this being the soundtrack of the story of the Adalus or whatever like like that if you don't have any lyrics you need something to express yeah and I think the more instrumental the band is the more you need that movie in your head.

SPEAKER_01 25:07

And this is uh when Nate came up with the the very first lyrics it was Angel of Libra and I thought wow this uh suits completely what we had in mind during our first recording session. Yeah this is why I I yeah I just just said like oh let's call the band like this. Yeah it's also very I think it's sketchy but it's nice yeah it is and it's unique.

SPEAKER_00 25:32

There's not any other band I mean I haven't heard other bands that have names like that that are so distinct and specific but also like kind of loose to interpretation as well right yeah that's true but uh I I also thought I didn't want a band name that has a soul in it like the soul expressions the soul whatever yeah because uh that to me you know over here in Germany there's a like a lot of tribute bands that have those names okay and I I did never want to get confused with a tribute band you know yeah because uh what we wanted to do is like original stuff of course on some we always choose one or two covers for touring but that's more like a fun aspect but uh the main thing is original music yeah um so I was I was very keen on finding a name that doesn't sound like this whole tribute band yeah well so who would you say is the most angelic member of the Angels of Libra I don't know if any of us are in maybe mr mr mark norton he's a he's such a sweet guy the beautiful thing about this band I I think is it's so international we have um uh Sarifa is half Spanish obviously I'm from Ireland uh Mark is from London so we have an English man and an Irish man in the same band and things seem to be going okay so that's uh that's always a good sign fingers crossed right fingers crossed uh Lauron who's our our bass player is from France um he was our original bass player David is I think David's from Hamburg right I always mix up where where David's from maybe well he was born in northern Germany like we'll we'll put it like that he was the original bassist uh but he's also in like seven projects and he's also a full-time uh doctor so uh so for for him to come on tour with us is is tricky so he's always plays on all the records um but he hasn't been on the last couple of tours but um we've had laurel who is a real pleasure and actually he could be uh one of the contenders for the most angelic member of the angels as well laurel is a very sweet guy um yeah so it's yeah there's there's a few few uh few heads in there but it's it's super nice that everyone is you know everyone's come from very different musical backgrounds people from all over the place so it's a really international also in terms of age you know it's like from 25 to 65 years old in um so it's it's a real special thing and I think that really shows itself in a live scenario when we go on the stage our audience is uh is so mixed we have people of really people of all ages and who are ready to to dance and get down and get dirty you know on the on the shows every time and that's that's really special you don't see that with every band actually and there's something there for everyone and each album has its own flavor its own special sauce I suppose and uh if maybe some part of the first record isn't for you try out the second one and you never know what you're gonna get right and that's really uh yeah it's a it's a it's a lovely it's a lovely thing this combination and uh of of flavors and different different personalities.

SPEAKER_05 29:01

Yeah but yeah I don't know about the angelic thing I think we we can we can give mark the angelic uh name tag for now but I don't know how how it's gonna hold up sometimes on tour we call ourselves the fallen angels of Libra oh that's great I love that well part of the reason you guys are here today uh is to promote your new collaborative album Road to Mandalay uh which dropped in late January 2026 as mentioned it's the fifth full-length studio album for the band and the second record with Nathan uh taking all or most of the vocals uh though as you mentioned he's showed up in numerous singles uh and on other albums in the past as well so how did this new album specifically come about and when did you start working on it?

SPEAKER_01 29:57

Well um this album it has a long story um with sometimes just a couple of days ago uh Nate and me we met and we were talking about the long loads to Mandalay absolutely started actually with Hans Hans is a trumpet player who used to play on the very first recordings we did for the angels and um at the same time when we just finished recording our uh debut album with Nate he came to me and said like ah I've got some songs with it for this whole project like the idea of uh producing it and working together with the idea that's good and uh so we started to work on his five songs and uh we used the same collective of musicians yeah so it's again Lucas on the drums and and so on so starting with that was uh in 2022 I think I think it was 2020 when it was when it was recorded the the first tracks right the the Hansiatics they were called hands' Hansiatics that was before it was before pandemic yes 2020 so it's a long tremendous very long yeah we actually we did the same thing we recorded uh and arranged back in tracks that was supposed to have vocals on it and no idea who's going to sing so same thing and um yeah we wrote these five songs and um actually did all the production with uh heading screwings and stuff like that and then um I gave it back to Hans to uh check out vocalists and a couple of years later I was uh I was I was checking with my uh my library you know with the all the recordings and I found it again what's the matter with this this was great recordings um called Hans and asked him did you find the singer and he said oh no I tried so many people and I'm also working in so many projects I never never could finish that and I said while it was recorded approximately at the same time with the same setup and almost the same people why shouldn't we try to make this an angels recording you know there's five songs already and it's it's the same vibe that suits our band he said oh yeah let's give it a try so I sent the songs to David again and asked him to put on some vocals we called it some vocals and I sent it back to Hans and he said he loves it let's go for it so we've got at this point we had this five songs already but the problem was it was a very cinematic album with a lot of over strings horns percussions microphones uh all kinds of instruments and um you know in in Hamburg I uh lost my studio like for three times because uh two times it was water damage and the third time was an explosion in the in the building oh my god and uh that ended up that ended up the the studio where we did record the basic tracks for this first five songs so I had to find a way of uh finishing the album without having my studio set up it was all back in storage. Oh wow this is why it took then took like another two years to finish it because uh of course it's easy to vocals of guitar but uh recording basic tracks it affords like a real equipped studio and um same with uh especially strings and all sections because they need to play together to make it sound good and um so um last year I found a room which I could use as a studio room uh I thought for longer but it was just for a couple of months but it gave me the opportunity to finish finish uh the album and in between those two recording sessions there was a lot of things with the angels going on we did several tours we toured an island for example and after the Irish tour um Nate Zarita Chris and me we went into uh Irish studio in the countryside for a couple of days and did a songwriting session okay and so most of the songs that weren't from Hans were written there and also some songs were just written in my kitchen with some you know some drinks and the coffee machine and the back. Yeah but this made it like a long story I mean that was I'm pretty I I'm proud of that I managed to uh release five albums within five years or something with the band.

SPEAKER_00 35:12

Yeah um that of course was possible because I had studios and if I had studios and we had those musicians running in and out all the time you always have like um after one recording session uh asking the the trumpet player to spend two more hours to do a little overdub for the angels whatever so then it was pretty quick but the most it was a long load I suppose you you gotta you gotta bear in mind Dennis is um recording everything analog and he has like a crazy amount of old vintage equipment like from compressors to uh all of these synthesizers he already spoke a little about a bit about and uh you know I think a big part of of the angels sound is because of that of this uh uh this studio that Dennis had and all of these studios that he had over the years um and he just had a lot of bad luck with it so the the uh you know the the thing kind of has been recorded in so many different ways I suppose this even the first two records I think were kind of all recorded around the same time in I don't even know if you had your studio then Dennis the first album most of the songs were recorded in a house in Denmark where you know you brought an old task um uh tape machine and and recorded it it like in a house you know it's this trying to find a studio has always been the struggle of the angels to record it um but this this one in in the end we we we found a sp a space for it so it was recorded in so many different places actually and took a long time to get there but yeah very proud of the result.

SPEAKER_05 36:56

Yeah well I think it's time to hear one of these songs all of today's music comes from this new album Road to Mandalay and you sent me three songs uh for the interview today uh I'd like to check out our first tune Ain't No Lovin' uh where did this song come from and uh what should we be listening for?

SPEAKER_00 37:16

Uh well this was one of the ones we wrote in in Ireland actually okay um so that was the first I think the first track we wrote all together as a as a group well at least four of us in the in the same room um and we really worked out like all of the harmonies and the backing vocals which we hadn't really done before um and both myself and Dennis are big fans of of backing vocals and songs and how much they can really shape a whole record. Yeah um so this was one of those songs we recorded we wrote it in uh transmission room studios in Longford County Longford in the midlands in Ireland middle of nowhere and um yeah it started out really basic I think just stripped down on an acoustic guitar maybe some piano and it's turned into this big bold statement piece and it opens the record and yeah hopefully you enjoy it. Yeah well let's hear it it's Angels of Libra with Ain't no lovin' off their new album Road to Mandalay with today's special guests Dennis and Nathan from Angels of Libra well you just told us the story of how long it took to get this album together how does it feel now that the record is finally dropped a big sigh sells it says it all yeah it's good it feels good it was a long way to get that over the line um you you go on tour you play the songs on tour you showcase the new music and then uh afterwards you release the album and everyone's heard the songs live and they want to buy it yeah but everything switched you know this is like 80s like late 90s maybe even they this changed and now it's always you release an album and you tour the album to promote the album so we actually went on tour in October November last year and then released the album two months three months afterwards but we had the the record already uh pressed so we brought it with us on tour so people were able to the hardcore fans really were able to grab a copy of the album before it came out oh nice so it kind of feels like it's been out a while because it we had it ready but it wasn't the official release date it wasn't you couldn't really buy it unless you came to the shows I thought that was a kind of a nice way of doing it so it does feel to me like it's been it's been out there for a while because people were able to hear it. But when you have an actual date and that's that's the day it's out it it feels pretty good you know you wake up the next morning. I actually think you You know, we uh nowadays it's all we released the an an album digitally anyway, it's at twelve o'clock, it's at midnight. And it's midnight in every different region or whatever country you're in. Um and actually I think I was I was in Germany that day, I was in Berlin. Um but I went to bed before twelve, which is very rare for me. And uh so I actually missed the the release time, which is very strange, yeah. So I woke up the next morning and it was it was out. But yeah, it's funny, you know, when you've already when you've pressed it and you've kind of already been like bringing it to people, it's like it kind of feels like it's been out already. Um but there was like kind of a relief and a sigh, I suppose, just you've like you've just heard.

SPEAKER_05 44:45

Well, how's the record been received so far?

SPEAKER_01 44:48

Oh, really good, really good. We got a lot of uh reviews and some German radio was um advising us for either uh a live set or some interviews, and uh well, it's also very good. We work together with Jada, we work for funk, and she does a great job all of the time. But um this time it felt like even better. There's like a lot of radio plays we get from France and Italy, and um also we've been onto the um English Craig Charles funk show.

SPEAKER_05 45:26

That's great, that's great.

SPEAKER_01 45:28

A couple of times now, like um actually he played like at least one or two singles from each album we did, but this time it was amazing. He played like all the singles, and then we also had a chunk of funk where we could uh yeah, where we could uh put on some music that inspired us. So um yeah, I we think that uh I mean keep keeping on working, toing, releasing, and it slowly grows. And uh we can we we felt like okay, it's it's growing, it's nice.

SPEAKER_00 46:05

Yeah. We actually have a huge amount, sorry to cut across you, Michael. We have a huge amount of of footage uh from this process because like it's been going on for so long. So from the very beginning, from when Hans and Dennis were in the studio together uh until now, there's there's so much footage and video material. So over the next uh few months, we're gonna be kind of showcasing a little bit of how the recording process was in the uh we were kind of developing a little series, The Long Road to Mandalay, as Dennis has so aptly named it. Oh, that's cool. So, yeah, if you get go go check us out, uh check out our page and on social media, and uh even if you pop onto our our website, a little uh teaser and bits and pieces of of the process of this, because so much went into this this album, so many amazing musicians are on this record. I think it's really interesting.

SPEAKER_05 46:59

Yeah. Well, Dennis, Angels of Libra, as you mentioned earlier, first of all, there's so many musicians involved, and you guys have worked with so many musicians and singers uh over the years. Uh, like you just mentioned the Astromantics and Maya or the singer uh and several others. So, how do you approach writing, arranging, and recording music when you know Nathan specifically is gonna be attached to these songs?

SPEAKER_01 47:28

Well, that's changed, of course, because uh the debut album, I most of the songs I didn't know who's going to sing it. And as uh Nate mentioned before, this time we uh at least half of it was we called it like the hand songs. Well, we called it the even uh without knowing who's going to sing it. Uh so this also is explains a little why these songs go more into the very cinematic kind of thing, because each time you record something and um you you still don't have a vocal, it needs uh these landscapes. I always call it like landscapes, yeah. Um but it completely changed for the second half of the record. Uh when it was clear this is going to be the second record that uh Nate takes the complete lead on, or almost complete lead. Right. We started doing um songwriting sessions and um quite a lot of them actually, and um so this time on the second five songs, no, it's seven songs on on the album, um we did it the other way around. So we met up with acoustic guitars and um votes like very bare um record uh demos and uh made it all work for the lyrics and the vocals. So this is this was like uh new to the angels. We didn't do this. Of course, we always made a new always uh on records like this. We always have a chat about where it's going to go. And actually, before we started, we caught uh writing the other half of the album was also an idea to make the the Hansong's B A side and the B side just a 15-minute long cinematic soul tune. Monster track the monster, and yeah, yeah, you know, but uh on the same time, I I just finished the astromantics and I thought uh okay, I've done this nerd stuff, and it felt so good to be free and doing this, but now I'm I it also would feel very good to go back to three-minute songs and to to lyrics and hook lines and stuff like that. So um actually it it completely changed after having done the Astro Semantics album. Uh, for me, it changed to I I want this song audience of the album. And the Hans songs were both they were cinematic, but they also made up great songs, and most of them are quite in a in the normal length of a pop song. Some of them are a little longer, but uh so we we changed our minds during the process and said, Oh, there's um because we already started um writing some songs besides tours touring, and um we had the song um None of the one uh just with me in my kitchen during working on on touring and stuff like that. So yeah, and um so yeah, we changed our mind and we said okay, let's do it the other way around and um make it song-oriented. And uh I love the outcome, it's it's really really nice, and of course, um now the idea is next week, next album to try to maybe bring in a little bit of the band and also the singers into the songwriting process. You know, it never works like a concept for a complete album never works. You always have to do some some stuff different just because it just comes in like this. Yeah, it's and also I I think the the best concept albums are always albums that lose the concept here and there. Yeah, and um yeah, it is it is but um I love the idea of having the next album being planned with bringing some musicians in. So maybe go to this house in Denmark again, whatever, something like that, in the woods, uh every week for songwriting. And this time combine the bands to complete the backing band, let's say, and the vocalist. That would be great. And that would be another different approach, and I I I like changing approaches with each album to give it a new color and uh new experience.

SPEAKER_02 52:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 52:03

Well, Nathan, I'd like to take the same question and flip it around for you because you are an accomplished singer-songwriter of your own right. How do you approach the songwriting and performing processes when you know that it's gonna be with Angels of Libra specifically?

SPEAKER_00 52:21

It's a good question. Um, I suppose I don't I don't really plan it in any sort of way. It's like you know, when you in making any art, if it's bad music or painting or sculpture, whatever you're doing, um, especially with writing and poetry, you can uh you can have a theme or maybe an idea of where you're going with something, but you know, it kind of works itself out. You get into like this state of flow that I mean everyone kind of who's making any sort of art knows about that. And when you get into that state of flow, you never know really what's gonna happen, and all of those things that you wanted it to be maybe don't happen at all, and it turns into something completely different. So I don't really approach it in any particular way of this is an angels song, or okay, this is a Nathan Johnston solo song. But then sometimes I have an idea and I send send it to Dennis and I say, Oh, this could be an angels track, or maybe I send him two or three different songs or different ideas I have, and he said he'll say, Oh, this is great, works really well for the angels, and maybe another one he says, it doesn't really fit this project, or maybe I just know, you know. Um, but when we sit down and work together, very often we we spend a like myself and Dennis are listening to a lot of music together. So we we sit in his kitchen and just talk and and listen to records from all different genres and and bands, old and new. And um that's something is just more like hanging out as mates, and then all of a sudden, you know, I don't know, Dennis is making a cup of coffee and I start playing something on the guitar, and he turns around, oh that's the one, and then you know the song comes in two minutes, nice, or it could be a a case of you know, I I specifically uh have an idea, or Dennis has sent me an instrumental, and then I have an idea for something, and oh maybe this thing I I was intended to use for a different project or for a solo thing. Actually, maybe that could fit for the for this song or for this particular so it always it always varies, you know. It's like with anything. Do we have a lot of material now um that we've recorded that is not we're we're figuring out is it the next album, is it the next single, or where is it going? So we're always writing and and recording new stuff. We have a huge bank of things sitting there and uh many new songs to be written as well. So you never know what happens, actually. Yeah, it's always gonna be different.

SPEAKER_05 54:53

Yeah. Oh well, in a bit, I'd like to talk more about the soulful sound of the album itself. Uh, but seeing as this is a funk podcast and you can't have funk without soul, going back in history, soul was the progenitor to funk. I'd like to ask you guys about something that I call funk with a capital F. Um, and it's this idea that funk can be more than just a musical genre, uh, but it can also be an overarching uh perspective or a philosophy. Um and I wonder if you guys could each share a funk philosophy that inspires or motivates you.

SPEAKER_01 55:36

What I love about funk, especially the early funk from uh Mr. Sharon's bond, for example.

SPEAKER_02 55:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 55:43

It's uh the repetition. Get on the scene. Get on the This is really, really good. That was the new stuff that was the pre-suggessive of hip hop and everything that came later. And it's very African. It's also very African. Um this is like the very first I mean there is no border between soul and funk. It was a development. Especially possible. You could never say, ah, this is still soul or this is already funk, especially in there is there's songs that are suggestible, and um these on these songs what I always make up as ah funk is around the corner, it's the repetition of stuff and the the shoutings and staying on the groove, like get into a flow, a meditation uh manifest of the groove. I think that's it. And so has got this already, but uh funk took it to a another level, like being more repetitive and being more staying on the same groove, no variations, nothing, just the flow. This is what I love about funk. Maybe that's uh like a testament of what is funk is yeah the flow and the meditation and staying on the repetition. I love that.

SPEAKER_00 57:14

Uh what about you, Nathan? Uh I see funk as an attitude or maybe a way of life. Yeah. Because you know, funk, not like you said, not just it's not just a genre of music, but you can have a funky shirt, or somebody can be a funky kind of guy, or you can have a funky haircut, or you can eat uh you know, a yogurt or something that's gone a bit bad and all of a sudden it tastes funky, right? Yeah, so so funk is like this this kind of spice, this like uh little bit of extra pizzazz. Yeah, so somebody can come into a room with a bit of funk and it can change the whole feel of a room, you know. There's that idea that the calmest person in the room is the one that people gravitate towards, and the one that kind of uh uh gains authority in a way, because they're people gravitate towards someone that who's very comfortable in their environment. But when somebody comes into a room who's calm enough and confident enough to wear a really funky shirt and just be super positive and outgoing, and they dance like nobody's watching, that changes everyone's attitude, everyone starts to feel more comfortable, and then everyone starts dancing. So funk is a way of life, funk is an attitude, funk is about uh bringing the bizars to the party.

SPEAKER_05 58:33

Yeah, that's what I would say. That's great. Thank you guys. Those are both great answers. I appreciate that very much. I'd like to check out our second song for the day, and uh, this is a tune called Lie to Me. Uh, what's this song about and uh how did it come together?

SPEAKER_00 58:50

That's one of the Hansiatics. That's one of Hans uh the Hans tunes.

SPEAKER_05 58:55

So pre-recorded, and you added the lyrical content.

SPEAKER_00 58:59

Yes, and uh the original song was called I I think it was called Gambling Man or I Can't Stand It. There was something about the Hans had named these songs, they were all kind of uh had sort of a Western theme to them. Um so there was play to win. There was I think that was lied to me, it was play to win. Um and I I I really this song has such a beautiful arc, the the ending is so gorgeous, and it has this amazing outro part that I wish would come again, and it's just at the end. So uh that that song seems to be really uh well received. It's one of those things where you listen to it and you have to wait to the cli for the climax, and people don't do that enough anymore. I think people are really uh switching songs if they don't like it in the first minute. But this is one of those ones that you gotta get to the end. But the story is really um about being frustrated with your situation in life. And for me, I'd uh just moved back from London. Uh I lived there for five years. I moved back to Ireland, I'd gone through a big breakup, and I was at a big turning point in my life, and I actually had to move back into my parents' place, which is uh you know, you gotta swallow your pride. Humbling, um humbling to say the least. Uh, although I love them, they're great, and it was a really great thing to be back home for a while. Um, and uh, you know, at that time that was you know when I first received some of these instrumentals, and that particular song uh sort of encapsulates that encapsulates this idea of uh you know being frustrated with your situation and wishing somebody would just lie to you and tell you that everything is fine when really it's not, because actually really we have to believe for things to work out. I I really do believe in in uh and I know it's been overused in recent years, but this idea of manifestation and it really you know if you really believe or really want something that it you know you can make it happen. Yeah, and uh I really believe in in that we can have uh peace on earth if we want it, yeah. Um, or peace of mind if we want it. So uh asking somebody to lie to you to tell you that it's gonna be okay is is one way of looking at it, but it's really uh saying, please lie to me, tell me it's gonna be okay, because I can't see a way out of the mess. But in the end, actually, I know that it's me that's gonna change it deep down. Nice.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:31

Well, let's hear it. It's Nathan Johnston and Angels of Libra with Lie to Me from their 2026 album Road to Mandalay. Did you know that I also host and produce an original music program? That's right, Tonic the Funky Groove Show is a two-hour radio program focused on instrumental funk, groove, soul, disco, jazz, and hip hop tunes from the 1960s to the 2020s and from all over the globe. You can hear it free, online, anytime on the PRX website using this shortcut bit.ly slash funky groove show. Each season I create the show for KGO U F M, Oklahoma City's NPR stores, and Numerous other stations play it as well. You can get more info online at funky groove show.com or follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Funky Groove Show. Again, you can hear it for free every week on numerous stations or online. Just visit funky grooveshow.com for more info and links. I think you'll love Tonic the Funky Groove Show. Back to the podcast. We're back with my special guests, Nathan Johnston, Dennis Rux from Angels of Libra. This new album, Road to Mandalay, is a decidedly soulful recording that successfully taps into the familiar sounds of the 1960s while keeping an original, authentic, contemporary feel. And you alluded to this a little while ago with regards to some of the analog equipment that the Dennis has in his studio, but how did you go about tapping into these soulful sounds for the record?

SPEAKER_01 1:06:59

Well, it's uh it all starts with a drum sound. Okay. Um I think uh the sound of the drums is always the first thing you do to make the overall sound of an album. So you could go for dirty drum sound or clean drum sound, but most important, of course, in soul with that to take a natural drum sound. So um most of the time I'm recording uh especially with Lucas, I'm using two or three mics on the drums. Total. In total. And if I go for a more precise drum sound, I'm still using only two mics, but then it's gonna be only two no mice.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:42

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:43

And if I if I'd rather go for uh more dirty sound and I'm using some dynamics or uh ribbon mics. Okay, but this is like the uh and the room is very, very important. This is uh also especially for the for the Motor Mendeley album, it's uh it's all recorded in decent studios. Um some of the older recordings uh we recorded some stuff in the rehearsal room, which I tweeted acoustically acoustically, but it wasn't super expensive uh recording pseudo space or something. And this is cool if you go for a dirtier sound, but if you want like a very precise dry drum sound, you need a good room. And yeah, I had the fortune of recording all the tracks in these and studios, so this is always the start. And of course, um with all the instruments on this record, it's it's not only all analog, it's old equipment. It's um I'm using uh the old Hammond, it's uh C3, it's it's like a D3 but the church, church version. It's a monster of uh a lot of tubes and uh really nice one. Uh you have to tweet it a white. It gives you all the sounds you always plead for. And uh same with um I'm I'm a real node on guitar. I'm the guitar player also, but I only use um my Hofner, which is an old German guitar, like the the Beatles used Hofner bases. Okay, yeah. This is uh a very special one from uh 1965. And uh it's a Hofner very thin, and the name is Pogan, it's it's really very thin. Um which gives it some advantages and some disadvantages. It's a beast you always have to try to get the right tones out of it, but you manage, and it's really really nice, a very, very different sound to uh all the other guitars I have. And uh more than into guitars, I'm into amps. Okay, so um I always tend to use uh very very nice amps on on the recordings. And um on this record, it was all my um my smallest app that I have. It's a six watt uh only 10-inch speaker. It's from 1949, it's also the oldest app I have. Wow. So this one, now I'm talking nuts stuff, it's single-ended, so it's a very, very the schematic is very easy just to go in, to go out, something like that. Uh the the the speaker is made of uh of paper and it's it's a moving coil system. They only did this back in the 40s and maybe beginning of the 50s and then change and stuff like that. So this is all giving like very very special sounds, and um I always tend to have a complete backline in the studio. So I'm um with the drums the same. I always have uh 59 solo drum kit, which has very, very thin wood. Um which is really really nice to give it like a more jazzy sound. And uh the other set I use is a 64 uh Luffy drum set. Um this is like the stuff Wingle plays on. Yes, yeah. Um also really uh really nice, I love this one. And um and of course then you have all those strange instruments for overdose and a lot of uh no, it's actually every every Angel's wicket here and there has some weird instruments on it as well because uh even if I don't have it, I have friends who have weird instruments as well. Okay, so uh on some albums you hear uh is an old French instrument that is um very close to the fartonium. Fortonium was an old uh I think it's German, it's a this very first uh all electric instruments that were built. I think it was back in the twenties or thirties.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:02

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:03

So it's it's mainly it's mainly a wire, and you shorten the wire, you get a higher pitch, and you lengthen it, you get a lower pitch.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:12

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:14

Yeah. And actually, and on this on this album we we used a new toy I got. Um it's it's like a Glock and Sheel. But uh you have to play it with keys. So there's a little motor underneath the Glockenskiew that hits uh the plates, and you you've got two options hard or soft. Super nice is uh it sounds way more balanced than playing it uh with mallet sticks. And uh yeah, we had a lot of fun using uh these little toy instruments and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_05 1:12:56

I'm gonna have to listen again with new ears now that now that you've told me all this, so I can listen in for those little uh special ingredients. Thank you for that. That's really cool.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:08

Did I play one of those I played one of those? No, I played some strange thing anyway, some toy thing.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:14

Yeah, no, you play you played the the uh Glockenspiel thing. What was it called? Tustenspiel, which does. Yeah, it's the Glockenspiel was keys.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:28

Yeah, yeah, that was really fun. Yeah, it was on this uh what was it? It was Never Say Never. It was this track. If you're listening to the record, Never Say Never, I I can hear my my Tottenspiel skills.

SPEAKER_05 1:13:42

Well, so Nathan, this album's title, Road to Mandalay, is also the name of one of the tracks on the record. So where did the inspiration and idea for this title and album title come from?

SPEAKER_00 1:13:55

Um it wasn't gonna be the album title, it was originally just the name of the song. Um the actually it's it's quite a special story. Uh when when Hans sent those original instrumentals, uh I was in my parents' house. My mom is a big reader, she's uh reading like I don't know, two books a week or something ridiculous. Um so I was just looking through like what books she had there, and then I found this poetry book, and I opened the first page, and uh there was a poem there by Rudyard Kipling from 1890 called Mandalay. Wow. Um and the same day, or maybe a day before or a day after, I received these instrumentals, and one of the tracks was titled Road to Mandalay. And I just that thought that was very strange. So uh yeah, I uh obviously felt like there had to be some sort of something explored there, and um yeah, the story of of Mandalay, of the poem itself, is a story of a man who uh he's from England, he was in the army, he was stationed in Burma Um in Mandalay, and he's dreaming of the day when he was there, he had this lover, and he would lie by lie uh by the harbour and watch the boats where the old pagoda lay on the road to Mandalay, and a greener, cleaner land. Uh and now he's walking through this English rain and the cobblestones, and uh he has money now, he's left the army, he's back in England, he's got a nice stately home, and I think he's married and he has everything he needs, but he's still remembering the times there, and uh, even though he was a broke soldier, uh stationed out in the middle of nowhere, he was happy. And uh I like this idea of this mystical place, this thing that we're all searching for at the end of the road, this this mandalay, and we're all chasing this uh success or whatever that may be at the top of the mountain. Um, and sometimes actually it's already there within you. Uh, you just need to take a step back and look at it. Uh so I suppose that was kind of the story of the song itself, Road to Mandalay, and that very much became the story of the album. Um, it actually in the end, it's really an album about love. Uh, there's a lot of love songs in there, and uh, you know, that filters into the the side of dreaming about the past and having this lover by the beach in in in mandalay and lying in the sun and all of those uh dreams. But actually, you know, it's not just love uh in a romantic sense, but it's love for yourself and it's love for uh your neighbour, and it's you know, there's songs in there when this song never say never where I played this tatten spiel, it's never say never to love, it's never, it's not too late to fall in love. And that you know, love is is is the thing that we we brings us all together, and uh as just like music does, and I think uh you know this message at the end is uh rather than always striving to get to this place at the end of the road, actually, sometimes you need to enjoy the journey you're on uh and and live in the moment and be on that road. And if you are on that road, I think you will find love or whatever it is you're looking for. Yeah, hopefully that that makes sense. Uh you can read a lot more about it. I have uh uh actually like a blog I I send out on my mailing list little anecdotes from uh the story of writing the song because there was a lot of work that went into these lyrics and the whole story. And um, if you're interested, go read the poem Mandalay by Roger Kipling, 1890. It's a fantastic poem, a really old school, old school English style. And uh some yeah, you have to read it with an old, a very old English accent as well. The bleeding English drizzle. That's great. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:17:56

Well, thank you for sharing that. That's a that's a really cool pers perspective and a cool story behind it. And speaking of Road to Mandalay, Patreon supporters, I'm excited to announce that Nathan and Dennis have generously shared an exclusive acoustic take of one of the tracks from that album, the song Ain't No Lovin', which we heard earlier in the show. To hear that bonus tune, just log into your Patreon account and it's there along with today's ad-free episode. Patreon members, thank you so much for your monthly support of the 40 Minutes of Funk podcast. And Dennis and Nathan, thanks so much for sharing that exclusive track with us. Appreciate it.

SPEAKER_00 1:18:38

Yeehow.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:18:42

Well, I'd like to check out our final song for today. This is a tune called I Fell in Love, uh, which is also from this new record, Road to Mandalay. How did this song come about and uh what should we be listening for?

SPEAKER_01 1:18:56

Well, that was another we've written in my kitchen. And I remember there was some doings involved into this one. Um actually I had these um these chords flying around, and I said I want to do try like a more northern soul approach to the song. And um yeah, we just had a couple of uh we called it yeah yes, Roman Coke in the kitchen and um got the acoustic guitar and uh messed around a little with the chord a little bit, and um that was an easy one because um I think the song was written in one go actually. We had uh we had just uh a piece of paper and a good acoustic guitar and um inspired all this and that and doing finding the melody who also already uh written down the lyrics so that it was a very quick one if I remember why.

SPEAKER_00 1:19:56

Yeah, and I think there was a lot of that was we were talking a lot about backing vocals, and I have a great recording. Um there's a voice note of of Dennis and myself actually writing that song and how it kind of came to fruition. It was over the course of like maybe 45 minutes to an hour or something. We kind of had the song written, and at the beginning it's it's singing a lot of nonsense actually. Um, but the one thing that always was sticking is I fell in love with you, baby. And it's both uh both of us like trying to figure out the backing vocals, and I think that played a big part in the backing vocals uh as the record went on, and and how the other songs how the backing vocals play interplay with the with the lead vocals a lot. I think it really came from that track specifically. Um, so yeah, and it's super fun to do this live and get the crowd singing along, and everyone likes dancing to this one too. It's nice upbeat diddy. And it all started in the kitchen. It all started in the kitchen. There you go.

SPEAKER_05 1:20:55

Well, let's check it out. It's Angels of Libra with I Fell in Love from their new album, Road to Mandalay. So now that this new album has been released, are you guys going to be doing any touring to support the new record? You mentioned you kind of had pre-gigs getting ready for it and and you know selling vinyl copies and stuff before it went, uh before it dropped officially. So now that it's out, will you all be doing any touring?

SPEAKER_01 1:25:13

Well, uh with the Angels, it's still all PIY. So uh we are booking now. Okay, which means um that's gonna be an autumn. Most of the time that when I have to finish mixing an album or care for like the last steps of an album, it's the same time where you actually should be doing the last process of booking. And uh it never works out. So um, yeah, we are starting to book uh tour in autumn, and uh we are also checking out if we find maybe uh some booking agency or whatever who could help us because booking a show for an eight-piece band, and eight-piece is like the lowest we go with, right? Um it's not easy, it's not easy, it's like you always need a lot of hotel rooms and uh epic bars and and everything, yeah. And coordinating all the calendars of those musicians is uh job on its own.

SPEAKER_00 1:26:12

Wow. Yeah. I guess the tour, the tour itself was we were supposed we wanted to release the album actually last year, so we planned that tour around the album release. So we that was meant to be the tour for the album, and we decided we would wait until the following year for it to come out. So we had the record and we kind of made that the unofficial tour of of the album. But we're starting to book now for uh later this year. So Dennis Autumn, as you would say in the UK. I think in in the US it's fall. Yeah, uh either way. So so in the you say autumn as well. So in in the autumn slash the fall, we'll be back back on tour. Um we're doing we have some shows already booked, uh, mainly in Germany, but we're hoping to get over to France, uh to the Netherlands, um, hoping to get back to Ireland again, uh also to London. And I don't know when the US will be on the cards, but uh hopefully at some stage uh we we'll get across the pond. Um but we we're also playing at a couple of festivals. We're playing at an old timer, which is uh old timer festival, which is like a big car, a huge car show. So there'll be a lot of uh these like old timer cars and they have funk bands and soul bands there and things like that. A big stage. It's a big one, there's like 50,000 odd people there. So uh that's a nice one for the summer, and uh until then, yeah, we're we're uh we'll be you know dropping some maybe some surprise tracks over the next while to keep people uh ready for the next shows. So stay tuned. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 1:27:41

Yeah, and start working on the next album. Yes, there's an old there's an old football saying that is after the game is before the game. And same thing here, it's like after dropping an album, the alarm clocks wing, saying, Oh, should start working on the next one.

SPEAKER_00 1:28:00

No rest for the wicked.

SPEAKER_05 1:28:02

That's right. Well, listeners, Angels of Libra's new album, Road to Mandalay. It's now streaming on all platforms, and it's a fun, soulful record that takes you on a journey through lost love, peace, and renewal. Please do yourself and the band a favor, and at the very least, please go pay to download this fantastic new record, or even better, pay for a vinyl copy if you're so inclined. So, guys, what have we not covered today that you wanted to talk about?

SPEAKER_00 1:28:35

We we went through a lot, I think. We've uh um I mean there's you know, there's a lot of material we have that we're working on in the new record, but there's nothing really to announce just yet. Okay. Um I know that uh Sarifa, our other singer, is releasing some solo music in the next like in a few weeks. And uh one of those tracks we actually uh I think are doing a collaboration um with the angels uh and her solo project, so there will be some uh something happening there. So um, but yeah, in terms of what's in the immediate now, we're we're in the booking process, so that's kind of taking a bit of time.

SPEAKER_05 1:29:23

Alright. Well, where are the best places for listeners to go online to learn more about you?

SPEAKER_00 1:29:29

Angelsoflibra.com. When you hop on to angelsoflibre.com, you got everything. If you want to buy a copy of the record, uh you can get it on the website. But uh Dennis mentioned he's got a store, yay, uh studio store. Um, there's a link there on our website, angelsoflibra.com. Um, like we've said, you know, we we're doing everything here is handmade, we're a DIY band, and uh it's all recorded independently. We have a very small record label we work with based in Berlin. Alex, uh shout out to Alex uh Alexander Domish from Waterfall Records. Yeah, he's a one-man show, he's doing everything really by himself, and he's really smashing it. So hats off to him. And uh, yeah, if you want to support the band, the best way is always you know go and grab a copy of the vinyl. Um, and we have five records out there. Like we mentioned, the Astromantics album is uh a standalone vinyl-only album, and there's only a few copies left up on the store, but it's uh uh it's a space odyssey adventure. Um, so every album has really gone down its own journey from the first uh releases where you know there were some singles at the beginning with Sean Lee, um instrumental, an instrumental drop, uh Kung Fu Noir, which was uh sort of visiting a very different uh feeling for the band, and then we did the first record uh that I was a part of, uh, which was quite dark and and moody um with elements of sixty soul, also has this ennu marconi cinematic feel. The second album, Revelations, it goes into we went to space basically. There was there's all these old school synthesizers in there, uh, a lot of features, a lot of interesting instrumental tracks in there. Third album was with Maya from uh Croatia, so uh has a little bit of a Balkan feel to it, but also really old school uh 60s uh very raw and and rough and ready record, very different sound again. And then Astromantics brought us back into space, but into the deepest, darkest realms of space, um, where we visited alien planets. Um, and then we've kind of brought it back full circle with the newest record. It's uh, you know, the what is a song, and it's about love and dancing and and soul music. So the next album, who knows what's gonna happen. So stay tuned for that. And uh yeah, hopefully you get some enjoyable listening over the next while if you want to go check out our catalogue.

SPEAKER_05 1:31:56

Yeah, it sounds like a good deal. Anything that you want to add to that, Dennis, before we sign off?

SPEAKER_01 1:32:02

No, I don't think so. It was really nicely spoken, Nate.

SPEAKER_00 1:32:07

Trying to get it all across in a few minutes. Yeah, good. Go go give us a follow our our Instagram, Angels of Libra. I'm on uh Nathan Johnston, you'll find me. My my actual tag is Cyan Hill Music. It's a bit complicated, but if you put Nathan Johnston into uh Instagram or Facebook or whatever, you'll find me there. Um and yeah, go check out our website, keep on uh following our journey. And uh, if you're interested in the making of the album, we're gonna be posting some videos about that. So um, yeah, hopefully there's something in there for any other analog nerds out there. Hopefully that tickles your fancy.

SPEAKER_05 1:32:44

Very good. Well, Nathan and Dennis, thanks so much for coming on the show today. Uh, as I mentioned, I've been a fan for uh several years now, and I've played numerous tunes of yours on my radio show. So when Jada originally reached out with news about this new album, I just knew it was the perfect opportunity to get you guys on the show and talk with you in person. Thanks so much for being my guests on the 40 Minutes of Funk today, guys, and best of luck with this new record. Thanks, man. Yeah. Well, please give my best to the rest of the Angels of Libra and safe travels. Peace and love. Yeah. Hey friends, it's Michael B here to wrap up the show with a few quick closing thoughts. Thanks for joining me for today's episode. Thanks so much to today's guests, Dennis and Nathan from Angels of Libra. I truly enjoyed getting to know them and their music a bit better, and I hope you enjoyed the talk as much as I did. Patreon members, don't forget to log into your account today to hear that exclusive bonus track provided by Angels of Libra that isn't available to the public. Thanks again for your support of the 40 Minutes of Funk podcast, and thanks to Nathan and Dennis for sharing it as well. If you enjoy 40 Minutes of Funk, will you please consider supporting the show? This podcast is a one-person passion project of mine, and your monthly financial support helps me pay my bills and ensures I can keep bringing you top guests in music. I'm looking for more supporters to join my Patreon network this year, and you can give as little as$5 a month. Patreon supporters get special perks like interacting with future guests on the show, behind the scenes info, merch discounts, shout outs, and more. They also get exclusive bonus content with lots of episodes. Just visit www.patreon.com slash 40 MinutesofFunk to sign up today. That's patreon.com slash 40 MinutesofFunk using the numbers 4 and 0. Thanks. There's lots more ways to support the show for free. I'm on Facebook and Instagram and would love for you to like and follow me there, comment on my posts, and share my posts with your followers. Look for me at 40 Minutesof Funk using the numbers 4 and 0. That's also a great place to send me DMs with feedback about the show and suggestions for future guests. My website is www.40minitsofunk.com where you can find links to all past episodes, t-shirt sales, and more info about the podcast itself. Be sure to subscribe to this podcast and leave reviews wherever you hear it. It truly helps with our visibility and rankings. So thank you. I also host a weekly radio show called Tonic the Funky Groove Show on Oklahoma City's NPR station KGOU. It's two hours of instrumental funk, groove, soul, disco, jazz, and hip-hop music from the 1960s to the 2020s. You can listen live Friday nights online at kgou.org or tell your smart speaker to play KGOU. You can find the show on social media at Funky Groove Show or visit my website at www.funkygroove show.com where you'll find a list of numerous other radio stations playing tonic each week and more. I think you'll love it. The 40 Minutes of Funk theme music is written and copyrighted by me and performed by an amazing lineup of musicians. More info on the 40 Minutes of Funk website. Remember, funk music is all about being on the one. Simply put, treat everyone equally and be kind to others, especially those who are different from you. Be well, friends. Thanks again. I'll catch you next time.