Kasabian To Release 'Epic' Album In October

Kasabian have promised fans an "epic" bout of new material on their forthcoming album.

Currently holed up in a studio in San Francisco, Kasabian are planning a number of festival slots this summer. Due to appear at RockNess, the Leicester group will also perform at Spain's Bilbao BBK.

Set to debut new material, it seems that the group's fourth album is almost complete.

Speaking to ThisIsLeicestershire, a rep from Sony / BMG explained that the group were at the mixing stage. Producer Dan The Automator has taken control, with sessions hidden away on the West Coast.

Continuing, guitarist Serge Pizzorno explained that the new album would be another "epic" instalment. "Well, it's epic," he claimed.

"It's big songs that make you feel like anything's possible. It's a really positive record. I suppose it's a combination of all three records but we've just taken it a bit further."

Continuing, the guitarist claimed that Kasabian aimed to improve with each record. "I'm really excited about it, because after the last record, people really liked it and wanted to know what was next, and I'm happy to say that it's got better. I'm excited about playing it live – there are tunes on there that are going to take people to a new place."

Kasabian are set to release their new album in October.

(facebook.com/kasabian)

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The View To Release New EP In June

Following the release of third album 'Bread & Circuses' in March, The View has announced details of a new EP called 'Cutting Corners', which is due out on June 13.

Fresh from releasing a cover of 'I Need That Record' the band are plotting an upcoming EP.

The  five track EP will feature the tracks 'Sunday' and 'Happy' as well as three exclusive, brand new tracks 'Sideways,' 'Alone' and a Tim Hutton mix of 'Sunday.'

The tracklisting for 'Cutting Corners' is:

1. Sunday (album version)
2. Happy
3. Sideways
4. Alone
5. Sunday (Tim Hutton mix)

The View have just completed a huge sold out tour of the UK but will play the following shows:

Saturday 30th April – Camden Crawl (Kentish Town Forum)

Friday 13th May – The Great Escape (Concorde 2)

Thursday 19th May – Liverpool Sound City

Friday 8th July – T In The Park

Sunday 10th July – T4 On The Beach

Friday 26th August – Leeds Festival

Sunday 28th August – Reading Festival

The View are due to release 'Cutting Corners' on June 13th.

Sony Engineer Norio Ohga - Father Of The CD Format - Dies At 81

Former Sony president Norio Ohga, who helped transform the music industry with the development of the compact disc format, has died at the age of 81, the company said.

The invention of the CD arguably saved the music industry. Under threat from home taping, record labels struggled to find a way to reinvigorate their back catalogues and inject investment into new talent. Pioneered by Sony, the CD sent sales to record levels. Famously billed as being virtually indestructible - can you really smear jam on them? - the CD soon became the primary means of listening to music.

Sony engineer Norio Ohga led this change. President of the Japanese company from 1982 to 1995, Ohga actually began life as an ambitious young opera singer.

Drawn into the world of engineering, Norio Ogha soon focussed this ambition on new technology. When discussions about the possibility of the compact disc began, it was Ogha who insisted that the CD should be 12 cm in diameter - enough to safely carry Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.

Later, Norio Ogha would preside over the purchase of the Columbia label and also launched Sony's games division - who would in turn produce the Playstation.

Commenting on the loss, Sir Howard Stringer, Chairman, CEO and President, Sony Corporation said, "When I first joined Sony in 1997, Ohga-san was serving on the frontlines of Sony management as Chairman and CEO. His numerous and successful endeavors were well-known both inside and outside of Sony. Witnessing Ohga-san's leadership firsthand was truly an honor, and one I continued to enjoy and benefit from in countless ways in the years that followed."

"By redefining Sony as a company encompassing both hardware and software, Ohga-san succeeded where other Japanese companies failed. It is no exaggeration to attribute Sony's evolution beyond audio and video products into music, movies and game, and subsequent transformation into a global entertainment leader to Ohga-san's foresight and vision."

"I offer my deepest condolences on his passing and pray that he may rest in peace."