Dreamscape | The Toyah Willcox Fansite

More photos from last night’s concert at Bush Hall, London. Click on either for larger version. (Thanks to Angus Turner for these photos of The Humans)

The Humans onstage at the Bush Hall, London tonight. The first of three live ‘Sugar Rush’ dates in the UK. Please click on the photo for a larger version. (Thanks to Paul Stephens for the photo)

• Another great review of the new ‘Sugar Rush’ CD, this one from American magazine ‘In Tune’. 8th October 2011 issue. (Thanks to the Official Toyah Facebook)

• The Humans play the first of their UK ‘Sugar Rush’ tour dates tonight, at the Bush Hall, London.

• Confirmed Yesterday: As well as Sunday’s signing session at The Public in West Bromwich, there will also be Sugar Rush album signing sessions, 7.30-8pm after the doors open (but before the support start) at Bush Hall, Thur 6 Oct and at Derby, Sat 8 Oct). T-shirts & CDs will be on sale at both.

• A surprise Humans related news announcement, “an exclusive opportunity in Birmingham”, will be made this coming Monday (or possibly late Sunday): Toyah tweeted yesterday: “Rehearsing set for BUSH HALL, it is ROCKING! Keep ur ticket stubs”

• A new photo session for The Humans took place today: Toyah tweeted earlier today: “Just done HUMANS photo shoot. Very architectural. & Humans tour offer is in for 2012……we are thrilled!”

The Humans live dates in Manchester, Cardiff and Sheffield have been postponed until further notice. Refunds are available from point of purchase. The Humans look forward to playing Bush Hall London, Derby and West Brom. Toyah tweeted: “I can’t wait for humans shows. Reaction 2 album is fabulous. Big :-( & big sorry 4 having 2 postpone some. Looking 2 reschedule for 2012. Toyah“

• You can hear full-length previews of ‘Pebble’ and the stunning ‘Small Town Psychopath’, both from the, just released, ‘Sugar Rush’ album, at Soundcloud now. Both songs also feature in the set list for the ‘Sugar Rush’ Tour. Click above to visit Toyah’s Soundcloud page.

THE HUMANS KICK OFF UK TOUR AFTER TAKING NYC BY STORM

After 4-star album reviews, and standing ovations in New York, USA for their east Coast tour, Bill Rieflin, Toyah Willcox and Chris Wong hit the road in the UK for the SUGAR RUSH TOUR. The new material which will be heard live on this tour combines haunting soundscapes, edgy experiments and sweet melodies. Toyah has described Sugar Rush as the energy of original Toyah meets space punk crossed with American grunge. Pearl Jam and Soundgarden have recently let Bill Rieflin know that the band’s debut album We Are The Humans as one of their favourite albums. A recent review also described the album as “that record we might have gotten if Tori Amos and Trent Reznor had ever come together for a full album.”

The Humans live show has won critical acclaim and a standing ovation in New York on 27 Sept. The Humans now bring this tour to the UK with a chance to see the performances in intimate venues in the UK. For full box office ticket links click here or go to www.thehumansofficial.com

THU 6 OCT LONDON Bush Hall 08444 771 000
SAT 8 OCT DERBY Flowerpot 01332 834438
SUN 9 OCT WEST BROMWICH The Public 0121 533 7161

NEW YORK GIG REVIEW:
“Songs like Fragment Pool and Pebble had a flow to it that drew you in and held your attention. Sea Of Size was one of the highlights of the set – a piece that drifted through the air and oozed a quiet sort of power. Wong, Rieflin, and the Igor with no last name created an interlocking tapestry for Toyah Willcox to glide over. Most impressive. Quicksilver and Telekinesis, both from the 1st Humans disc, were audio fairy tales for adults – bizarre little tales of life, slightly skewed. Twisted Soul led to the massively electric Put A Woman On The Moon, and the show ended with the caffeine rush of Demigod. The fun romp that was their cover of These Boots Are Made For Walkin’ served as encore. An incredible evening! Bring this band back as soon as humanly possible!”

SUGAR RUSH ALBUM REVIEWS:
“Sugar Rush is the group’s second release, and it is a big one. This record sound like it could have escaped from the John Cale archives. With the attitude of Tori Amos’ best work (but not the raw emotion), Toyah’s voice lays over these compositions that sound almost like Trent Reznor on The Fragile.”

“A hybrid of haunting and sweet, this album intrigues from start to finish. The Humans’ new 13-track album, Sugar Rush, is experimental, edgy in the simplest of ways, and nothing you can ready yourself for. It’s the musical equivalent of a drive through a part of town you’ve never seen, and just when you think you’ve got the area figured out, you pass a sign welcoming you to the nearby town with restaurants of a different vibe, and even the sky looks a bit different. But don’t consider driving back now, because you’re on a one-way and the scenery stays intriguing.”

Welcome to October: A month, definitely, of two halves: Half One is all about The Humans, the new ‘Sugar Rush’ album and the ‘Sugar Rush’ UK tour. Half Two is so crammed full of ‘From Sheep Farming To Anthem’… so many classic songs, iconic Melissa Caplan outfits and quintessential Toyah moments… that it’s difficult to move in there… in a good way!

The US ‘Sugar Rush’ dates have been critically acclaimed, with 4-star album reviews, and standing ovations along the way, and the UK tour is definitely not to be missed. Who can put it better than Toyah? She tweeted yesterday: “Sugar Rush stormed the usa, can’t wait for u 2 hear it. Its like original toyah meets space punk“. How can anyone resist that? The new material, which will be heard live on the ‘Sugar Rush’ tour, combines haunting soundscapes, edgy experiments and sweet melodies. Please click on the above promo flyers for full details on how to see both tours. Unfortunately The Humans’ Glasgow date at King Tuts has been postponed by the promoters, but there are still six English/Welsh ‘Sugar Rush’ concerts to go to.

‘Sugar Rush’, the second album by The Humans, is released on Sunday 2nd October in the UK, Europe and Rest of the World (basically everywhere except US/Canada where it’s already available).

The album will be available as a download, via iTunes (this includes bonus Digital Artwork Booklet), Amazon, Play etc. The UK CD release can be purchased from Burning Shed, and will also be available at each date of the ‘Sugar Rush’ UK tour (as will the t-shirt).

‘Sugar Rush’ is already available on CD and download for those of you in the US/Canada. Download via iTunes or Amazon. Buy the CD at The Omega Order (click below) or Amazon.

View more comprehensive details on the release(s), including info on the album’s bonus material and much more, at Toyah’s Official Facebook here. Details of how UK fans can buy t-shirts online will be announced soon, so no need to buy on import unless you really want to :)

Another excellent review of The Humans NY concert.

One of my “bucket list” artists I’ve been hoping to see in my lifetime was Toyah Willcox. This show was my opportunity, as she made her first ever live show in NYC with the band the Humans. She and they did not disappoint. Bill Rieflin and Chris Wong round out the Humans, and they were joined by live guest Human Igor for this show. Before I go further, great to see Tony Geballe nearby enjoying the show! Sugar Rush, the title track of their 2nd album, opened the set. Wong and Rieflin played dense layers of interlocking figures on their basses as Igor triggered buzzes, clicks, and beeps while adding patterns on guitar. Willcox added the technicolor to these dark textures – her voice soaring, flying, swooping passionately…

• Read the full review, and see some great photos of the gig, at the ‘Progsheet’ website, here.

Any band that garners comparisons to the White Stripes mixing it up with Lou Reed and Kate Bush immediately grabs our attention, especially when they can count post-punk survivor (and Teletubbies narrator) Toyah Willcox among their number. Curious folk will be able to see if these musical comparisons are accurate when the band arrive at Corp this month.

Visit the ‘Toast Magazine’ website, here.

Photos of The Humans onstage, on the final US ‘Sugar Rush’ date, at the Highline Ballroom, NYC earlier this week. Please click on each for a larger version. These photos, and more, have has also been added to the 2010 – gallery page. (Thanks to Alec Kelly for these great NYC photos)

A great new interview with Bill Rieflin from NPR Music’s ‘The Record’.

Talking Shop With Bill Rieflin, Journeyman Musician

This is a songs-oriented record, but the instrumentation is unusual. Explain why you decided to be a singer and two basses (augmented by other things, including Robert Fripp’s guitar).

The fact is, I didn’t decide anything. It was all Toyah’s doing. For some reason, out of the blue, she asked if I wanted to play bass with a new project. After recovering from the sheer confoundment and confusion, I said, “OK.” I had no idea why she would want a drummer to play bass. The concept of voice and two bassists as the musical core of the group is solely hers. Being that it’s her vision, I can’t exactly tell you the “why” except to say that, as a singer, I’m told, it’s much nicer to sing without having to fight over guitars and drums eating up all the frequencies they eat up. From this basic trio grows further augmentation and adornment. As the producer, I will usually fill in where I see fit, adding musical highlights and emphases. Plus, it gives me an opportunity to show off. Robert joined us on this record as a continuation of touring we did together last year, so this was a natural step.

• Read the full interview with Bill at the ‘NPR Music’ website, here.

The Humans Deliver Music As Their Own Art Form at Highline Ballroom

… Around the second to last song of the set, Toyah exclaimed, “It’s getting close to the end of my set and I don’t want it to end!” I’m sure they could have played for longer, but all good things come to an end, and when the band walked off the stage the applause didn’t stop. “More!” a crowd member yelled. The Humans hopped back up on the stage and played their rendition of “These Boots are Made for Walkin’” to unquestionable approval, before humbly bowing and grinning, then ducking back into the green room for good.

• Read the full review at the ‘Best New Bands’ website, here | Photo © Kelly Knapp.

After 32 years as a singer, Toyah Willcox plays her first-ever show in New York City. Ms. Willcox’s personal set list for the evening (provided by An Official), transcribed…

The physical Sugar Rush CD album will be available to buy from all dates of the band’s Sugar Rush UK Tour and to buy online from the Burning Shed www.burningshed.com webstore. Those buying the UK/Worldwide physical edition of the album (for the tour dates or from Burning Shed) will find a code inside the album which allows access to download three live tracks for free, all recorded at Scala London in February 2010.

The digital edition of the album will also be released worldwide (excluding USA/Canada) via iTunes, Amazon MP3, Play.com and all major digital music vendors from Sunday 2 October 2011. The (non-US/CAN) digital edition features the full 13-track studio album with an additional two live bonus tracks from the Scala London concert in addition to an exclusive Digital Artwork Booklet.

• Digital Edition Bonus Tracks (ROW Digital releases only, not US/Canada)
Available from iTunes / Amazon MP3 / Play,com / 7digital
14. Sugar Rush (Live at Scala London) [Digital Bonus Track]
15. Noise In Your Head (Live at Scala London) [Digital Bonus Track]

• THE HUMANS / LIVE AT SCALA LONDON EP
Free to download when buying physical CD (code inside CD)
1. Labyrinth (Live at Scala London)
2. Is It Wrong (Live at Scala London)
3. Put A Woman On The Moon (Live at Scala London)

Toyah onstage and post show after The Humans’ NYC gig at the Highline Ballroom last night. The photo below right has also been added to the 2010 – gallery page. Steve Riley, pictured with Toyah, said of the gig: What an amazing night, the sound was incredible, Toyah looked fantastic and her voice was better than ever. The Sugar Rush album is brilliant and seeing the Humans live is even better, I highly recomend both. Truly a night to remember. (Thanks to Steve for the great photo)

The Humans have been omnipresent at the ‘Time Out New York’ website over the last few days:

Live Preview: The Humans + Adrian Belew and Tony Levin: Associates of King Crimson’s Robert Fripp hold court in NYC.

Things To Do: Tuesday’s Must See Concerts: The Humans at Highline Ballroom: A veritable supergroup, the Humans are fronted by new-wave cult singer Toyah Willcox, and feature Bill Rieflin of the recently-disbanded R.E.M. However, it’s the guitar work of Robert Fripp – Willcox’s husband – that makes the greatest impression on the group’s new album Sugar Rush.

Music/Nightlife: The Humans + Kid Savant: Though the Humans are fronted by English new-wave cult singer Toyah Willcox and feature stellar work from two instrumentalists, bassist Chris Wong and multi-instrumentalist Bill Rieflin (who plays drums in R.E.M. but mostly sticks to bass here), the sound of King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp – Willcox’s husband, as it happens – is unmistakable on the group’s new sophomore album, Sugar Rush. Will Fripp make a cameo here? Don’t hold your breath, but don’t stay away on his account, either.

THE HUMANS ANNOUNCE WORLDWIDE RELEASE OF SUGAR RUSH ALBUM

THE HUMANS – Toyah Willcox, Bill Rieflin, Chris Wong – release their second full length album SUGAR RUSH on 27 Sept in USA/Canada on The End Records and in the rest of the world on 2 October 2011 on Toyah’s own Vertical Species label. The 13-track album has already received critical acclaim, with a 4-star review proclaiming it “a hybrid of haunting and sweet, this album intrigues from start to finish”.

• Sugar Rush is available now in USA/Canada on physical CD and digital download.
• Sugar Rush is available to rest of world on physical CD from www.burningshed.com, at gigs on UK tour and digitally from 2 October.

Read the full news article at The Humans Official website, here or Toyah’s Official website, here.

The Humans have made that record we might have gotten if Tori Amos and Trent Reznor had ever come together for a full album in the late-nineties. Maybe a bit dated, slightly disjointed for sure, but nonetheless a fun listen. Sugar Rush is the group’s second release, and it is a big one. This record sound like it could have escaped from the John Cale archives.

With the attitude of Tori Amos’ best work (but not the raw emotion), Toyah’s voice lays over these compositions that sound almost like Trent Reznor on The Fragile. The result is a record that feels slightly out of time, and comes with the necessary incongruities that come from such a melding.

• Read the full review at the ‘Earbuddy’ website, here.

Catch The Humans at Highline Ballroom Tonight

The Humans are something of a supergroup, being composed of Toyah Willcox, Bill Rieflin (R.E.M.), and Chris Wong (and yes, that is Robert Fripp on the left in the photo, who contributed guitar on the record). Toyah formed the experimental rock group in 2007 after being invited to tour Estonia by the Estonian Ambassador, and now they are in the midst of their first US tour in support of their sophomore album Sugar Rush. Their music has been described as “European experimental meets West Coast American grunge with overarching avant-garde and filmic qualities,” due to their composition of Toyah’s powerful voice backed by two bassists. Their performance at Highline Ballroom tonight is for sure one worth checking out.

The Humans play the fourth, and final, date of the US ‘Sugar Rush’ tour tonight at the Highline Ballroom in NYC.

The US dates have went incredibly well: Toyah has tweeted along the way: “Portland awesome, this band really rocks. Sooo looking 4ward to more“, “The Humans at Highline Ballroom NY…..critic’s choice for best show on 27th sept” and “On route 84 to Philadelphia. Shows really good, audiences really get the concept“.

To Alec, who has travelled a long way to see The Humans and Toyah, and to Jimi, who has waited a long time to see Toyah play live in New York… Have a great time tonight!!

The Humans played the first US live gig of the ‘Sugar Rush’ tour last night at Portland’s Empire Dine & Dance.

Toyah has been tweeting this week during rehearsals and the dress run, including her feelings on the first time she has ever played live in the US: “This is it! My first ever USA performance! I’m actually shaking!“.

Follow Toyah at Twitter to stay updated on The Humans’ American adventures.

View a photo from this week’s rehearsals, at Toyah’s Official Facebook, here. The Humans second US date is tonight at Church of Boston, Boston MA.

• More US press coverage for The Humans, from ‘Boston Herald/The Edge’: Gigs: Music for your weekend. View here.