Arno Carstens
| Arno Carstens | |
|---|---|
| Born | 12 March 1972 |
| Origin | South Africa |
| Genres | Rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Associated acts | The Springbok Nude Girls |
| Website |
www |
Arno Carstens (born 12 March 1972) is a South African singer-songwriter and artist.
Career
Arno Carstens is a platinum selling, award-winning singer-songwriter based in Cape Town, South Africa.
During his career as the lead singer of The Springbok Nude Girls,[1] and subsequently as a solo artist, Arno has released 10 studio albums, 5 as the lead singer of Springbok Nude Girls, 1 as half of the Electronica project, Bhelltower and 5 as a solo artist. He has won 5 South African Music Awards.
Arno has headlined every major South African music festival and has performed at the Isle of Wight Festival, Glastonbury, V Festival, T in the Park and Hard Rock Calling. He has also performed with The Rolling Stones, U2, and The Police on European tours. Arno features as lead vocalist and co-writer on three tracks on the Mike + The Mechanics 2011 album The Road.
Arno is also a fine artist. His work can be viewed at www.arnocarstensfineart.com
Another Universe 2003
Another Universe, Arno’s debut solo album, was released in 2003 and as one of the most anticipated solo projects in South African music history, did not disappoint, becoming the biggest selling South African English rock album this side of the millennium. The platinum selling album won a SAMA Award for Best Rock Album in 2004.
The Hello Goodbye Boys 2005
Arno’s 2nd solo album, The Hello Goodbye Boys, was released in 2005. Produced by well-known South African studio maestro Brian O'Shea (producer for the internationally recognised group Seether), The Hello Goodbye Boys went gold and won a SAMA award in 2006.
Wonderful Wild 2010
In the Spring of 2010, Arno released Wonderful Wild, his 3rd solo album. The album was produced by legendary British producer Youth (The Verve's Bittersweet Symphony) and Jim Duguid (Paolo Nutini’s These Streets). It was written, recorded and mixed in London & Spain with co-songwriting contributions from Giles Martin, James Walsh, Jim Duguid and Youth. Final mix on the album is by Tim Bran.
The first single "Dreamer", taken from Wonderful Wild, was released in February 2010.
Atari Gala 2012
2012 marked the release of Arno Carstens' 4th solo album titled Atari Gala, written in part in New York, London, Johannesburg and Cape Town and produced by Arno and Brendan Jury.
The title Atari Gala is a Japanese translation that implies a warning cry or celebration.
“I painted the Japanese word “Atari” on a recent artwork to mimic a bird singing a message of warning. That got me thinking that it could be a great name for a piece of music. Because this is my 10th studio album, I wanted to emphasize a kind of celebration, not only of the 12 tracks on this particular album, but of the whole creative process that has brought me thus far. Every song is an event or a tale, a celebration or a warning cry, that stems from life’s experiences.” says Carstens.
Lightning Prevails 2014
Lightning Prevails, Arno's 5th solo album, was released in 2014. Arno started working with the SAMA winner Dan Roberts in June 2013, on a project to record a greatest hits album. The intention was to re-write and record acoustically driven, orchestral versions of some of Arno’s most popular career tracks, both as a solo artist and as the frontman for SNG. Two months later, they emerged from studio with something completely different.
Lighting Prevails boasts a seductive departure from the comfortable and familiar Arno Carstens sound. There are the same thought provoking, profound lyrics and melodies that soak into the skin, but this time the marriage of organic sound and electronic beats are made lusher, with a big brass section, the powerful backing vocals of Jamali’s Mariechan and the artistry of producer, Dan Roberts.
It’s an album that celebrates the unstoppable power of love and creation.
Complete Discography 1995 - 2016
Springbok Nude Girls – Neanderthal 1 (Epic, 1995)
Springbok Nude Girls – It Became a Weapon EP (Epic, 1996)
Springbok Nude Girls – be-vest@iafrica.com EP (Epic, 1997)
Springbok Nude Girls – AfterLifeSatisfaction (Epic, 1997)
Springbok Nude Girls – Omnisofa EP (Epic, 1998)
Springbok Nude Girls – OPTI MUM EP (Epic, 1998)
Springbok Nude Girls – Surpass The Powers (Epic, 1999)
Springbok Nude Girls – Un-E.Z. EP (Epic, 1999)
Springbok Nude Girls – Relaxor (Epic, 2000)
Springbok Nude Girls – The Fat Lady Sings / Best of the Springbok Nude Girls 1995-2001 (Epic, 2001)
Arno Carstens – Another Universe (Sony, 2003)
Springbok Nude Girls – Goddank Vir Klank 1994 – 2004 (Sony, 2004)
Arno Carstens – The Hello Goodbye Boys (SonyBMG, 2005)
Nude Girls – Nude Girls (Exclusive UK release)(Golden Fairy Records/SonyBMG, 2006)
Springbok Nude Girls – Peace Breaker (SonyBMG, 2007)
Springbok Nude Girls Live at London’s Astoria DVD (SonyBMG, 2007)
Bhelltower – Bhelltower (SonyBMG, 2008)
Arno Carstens – Wonderful Wild (Sony, 2010)
Arno Carstens – Wonderful Wild Deluxe Edition (Sony, 2010)
Springbok Nude Girls – Apes with Shades (Sony, 2011)
Arno Carstens - Atari Gala (Gallo, 2012)
Arno Carstens - Lighting Prevails (Sheer, 2014)
Arno Carstens - Die Aand EP (Select, 2016)
Arno Carstens - Die Aandblom 13 (Select, 2016)
References
- ↑ Fitzpatrick, Mary; Armstrong, Kate (2006-11-15). South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland. Lonely Planet. pp. 61–. ISBN 978-1-74059-970-2. Retrieved 5 August 2011.