News

'Sounds From The Cities' Brings Music Back to Channel 4

• 12th Jan 2011

Channel 4, in conjunction with the revolutionary new website BOBCOM, today announced a new addition to its musical viewing line-up with the launch of an innovative music series, SOUNDS FROM THE CITIES. Presented by music aficionado and Gavin and Stacey star Mathew Horne, with surprise co-hosts, the series will guide viewers through venues nationwide in the company of both established artists and new musical talent.

Mathew Horne is an actor, presenter, comedian and also an accomplished club DJ. A regular on the circuit with his own club nights, he has presented and DJ’d on BBC Radio’s 6 Music and Absolute Radio. He also presented the Brit Awards alongside James Corden and Kylie Minogue as well as the NME Shockwaves Awards with co-host James Corden. SOUNDS FROM THE CITIES will review the regional music scene, analysing both the heritage and future outlook, and will feature guest performances from some big names throughout the nation. The four-week series will begin on Wednesday 9th February and will be broadcast each week from different locations across the UK.

An innovation in its documentary-come-live performance blend, SOUNDS FROM THE CITIES will break new ground in addressing the changes inherent in a music industry driven by information technologies. Inclusively spanning the nation, the series will feature voices from Cardiff, Edinburgh, Belfast and Nottingham. With his headline guests, Mathew Horne will discuss the world of the web and downloads, and the culture-changing dynamics inherent in new music trends across the UK and Ireland. SOUNDS FROM THE CITIES is designed as a musical re-evaluation. But it will also showcase new-meets-veteran jams and unveil the indie-minded up-and-coming talent that other shows overlook.

Writer/producer Michael Feeney Callan, BOBCOM’s Chief Executive, stated, “Since the download revolution up-ended the traditional music industry the direction of contemporary music has shifted. No one has really examined the ground-shift and how artists, their output and their objectives have changed. Sounds from the Cities addresses that.”

Having recently completed the official biography of Robert Redford, Callan was personally inspired by Redford’s visionary Sundance, the arts initiative created to empower disenfranchised filmmakers. Inspired by Sundance, BOBCOM was moulded as a power resource for new, ambitious music makers outside the mainstream.

“There’s a torrent of talent uninterested in grooming and gameshows,” says Callan. “Among these, we believe, are the new Bob Dylans and culture-changers. These we want to draw attention to.”

Mathew Horne added, “I'm excited to be working with BOBCOM and Channel 4 on this fresh and innovative take on music history.”

Neil McCallum, Head of T4 and Music, added, “We're delighted to be working with the BOBCOM team and creating four compelling programmes that will travel the country, coaching opinion and presenting some of the UK's freshest music.”

SOUNDS FROM THE CITIES, a Nemo Entertainment Production for Channel 4, is written and produced by Michael Feeney Callan.