Duran Duran Signs With BMG And Announces New Album
On October 22, Duran Duran will release its 15th studio album, “Future Past.” The British new wave and rock band has enjoyed worldwide popularity since the 1980s with songs like “Wild Boys” and “Ordinary World.” Ahead of the album’s release, the band has signed a recordings agreement with Bertelsmann’s music company BMG. The deal includes the administration of major songs in the Duran Duran’s back catalog.
Some of the older folks among us may remember songs like “The Reflex” and “Wild Boys” from their youth - and our younger counterparts still listen to them at parties - whenever they start happening again: Good music endures through the decades - and in the case of the British new wave and rock group Duran Duran, founded in 1978, what is true for the music is true for the band itself. And now, ahead of the upcoming release of their new, 15th studio album, the musicians fronted by John Taylor, Nick Rhodes and Simon Le Bon have signed a recordings agreement with BMG: “Future Past” will be released on October 22 via Tape Modern/BMG. The deal also includes the future administration of Duran Duran’s post-1997 back catalog, including “Medazzaland,” “Pop Trash,” “Astronaut,” “Red Carpet Massacre,” and “All You Need Is Now,” by BMG
‘A great home for the band’
“We are very happy to be in partnership with the BMG label group internationally,” says John Taylor, who was a guitarist with Duran Duran from 1978 to 1980, and a bassist from 1980 to 1997 and again since 2001. We feel this is a great fit for us and look forward to doing fantastic things together.” Alistair Norbury, BMG, President Repertoire & Marketing, UK, concurs: “BMG has been built on working with iconic artists and so we are truly honored to partner with Duran Duran on their outstanding new album Future Past. After selling 100 million albums, there is still an ever-present hunger and vitality emanating from the band, as evidenced in the stunning new music and pioneering visuals. After 40 years this is a band as relevant as in 1981.”
Wendy Laister of Duran Duran’s management company Magus Entertainment adds: “We have known members of the BMG senior management team for a number of years, and long felt that this would be a great home for the band. With this new deal, we have been able to bring together Duran Duran’s forthcoming studio album, and a number of key titles from their back catalogue – some of which are now available for the first time outside North America. It’s a good feeling to have a very experienced global team behind you who really understand not only the DNA of the band, but also their goals for this new record.”
Music video created by artificial intelligence
“Future Past” is Duran Duran’s first album in six years. Collaborators include the esteemed producers Erol Alkan, Giorgio Moroder, and Mark Ronson behind the board, plus special guest Graham Coxon of Blur on guitar, David Bowie’s former pianist Mike Garson, and guest vocals from Lykke Li. “When we first went into the studio in late 2018, I was trying to persuade the guys that all we needed to do was write two or three tracks for an EP,” recalls Simon Le Bon, a singer with the band since 1980. “Four days later, with the nucleus of 25 plus strong songs in the can, that all deserved development, I realized we’d be in it for the long haul, but that was before COVID. So here we are in 2021 with our 15th studio album, Future Past, straining at the leash. I’m not saying it’s epic, but well ... yes I am.”
The first single from the album is “Invisible,” produced by Erol Alkan and Duran Duran, and mixed by Mark “Spike” Stent. An interesting aside: The official music video was created by an Artificial Intelligence (A.I) called Huxley and comes out ahead of the band’s worldwide exclusive televised performance of the track, set to air live from London on the 2021 Billboard Music Awards, on Sunday, May 23 and viewable in North America. Duran Duran is one of the world’s best-selling bands. They achieved 14 singles in the top 10 of the U.K. Singles Chart and 21 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Over the years, Duran Duran has won numerous awards: two Brit Awards including the 2004 award for Outstanding Contribution to Music, two Grammy Awards, an MTV Video Music Award for Lifetime Achievement, and a Video Visionary Award from the MTV Europe Music Awards. The band was also awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
