Prep The Programme [ARTPL-219] Japan Music CD

Product Description
PREP, the London city-pop band currently experiencing a massive surge in popularity across Asia, has finally released their highly anticipated second album! PREP, the London four-piece city-pop band that has garnered immense popularity, particularly in Asia, and has even made two visits to Japan, including Summer Sonic 2019, is finally releasing their long-awaited second album! The album features collaborations with cult artist Eddie Chacon (formerly of the soul duo Charles & Eddie), Thai star Phum Viphurit, LA's dreamy singer-songwriter Vicky Farewell, Montreal keyboardist Anomalie, and more! PREP members are expanding their circle of collaborators. For their second album, "The Programme," which features exquisite slick-pop tracks, they enlisted a producer to further evolve their sound. Guided by Renaud Letang, highly acclaimed for his work with Feist, L'imp?ratrice, and Benny Sings, and nominated for a Latin Grammy Award, PREP has created their smoothest and warmest album to date. "The Programme" is PREP's most confident work to date, showcasing their sparkling sensibilities with bold features and a bigger, more anthemic sound. PREP members Tom Havelock (vocals and songwriting), Llewelyn Ap Mildin (keyboards), Guillaume Jeanbell (drums), and Dan Radcliffe (producer and guitarist) began writing "The Programme" in London in 2023. Initially, they started with the intention of exploring the world of 70s and 80s American R&B and soft rock through a contemporary lens, but over the next few years, PREP has undeniably refined their own sound. With this unique style established, they were able to cover Harry Styles' hit "As It Was" and give it a PREP-esque twist. (It's no wonder that it has been viewed tens of millions of times on YouTube, with comments like "Now Harry's version sounds like a cover too.") They decided it was time to step out of the comfortable sandbox they had built for themselves. Renaud's outsider perspective helped them unravel some older songs they hadn't yet explored. The bright and introspective "One Track Life" stands out among the tracks on "The Programme," and it dates back to the sessions for PREP's first album. However, not all members of the group could get the song to their liking. "We ended up making the song too complicated. Renaud told us to keep the chorus minimal," Tom recalls. This wise collaboration resulted in a timeless record brimming with cosmopolitan sensibility. Numerous guests, including cult musician Eddie Chacon, Thai star Phum Viphurit (familiar to Japanese audiences through numerous visits including Summer Sonic), LA-based dreamy singer-songwriter Vicky Farewell, and Montreal-based keyboardist Anomalie, express the band's broad sensibilities. Eddie met PREP while he was in Los Angeles to finish his album. He arrived at the studio with a melody he'd come up with while driving, wrote the tropical "Call It" on the spot, and toasted with tequila. Then, Phum (PREP has a long history of collaborating with Asian artists), whom he met in Bangkok during a tour, started working with Tom and Dan's beats, creating something amazing despite being exhausted from touring. The powerful yet chill-out "Getaway" is a familiar PREP track, a bittersweet ode to independence in love, made even more endearing by Phum's soft vocals. "The Programme" is PREP's second album, but it feels like the cornerstone of what started as an experimental music project growing into a fully realized aesthetic phenomenon that travels the world. The evolution is evident, with epic tracks like "Last Plane Out" having a Phil Collins-esque stadium scale that wouldn't have made sense on PREP's previous releases. This marks the moment PREP has reached the next level of international recognition.