uring his career as the lead singer of Springbok Nude Girls and subsequently as a solo artist, Arno Carstens has released 10 studio albums, 5 as the lead singer of Springbok Nude Girls, 1 as half of the Electronica project, Bhelltower and 4 as a solo artist.
He has had over 20 top ten singles, won 5 South African Music Awards and shared the stage with legends of the music world including U2, The Rolling Stones and REM.
He has toured sold out shows extensively in SA, UK, Europe and USA, headlined every major South African festival and performed at some of the most legendary international music festivals including Isle of Wight, Glastonbury, V Festival, T in the Park and Hard Rock Calling.
Arno Carstens 5th solo album, ‘Lightening Prevails’, will be released in June 2014.
"The album is almost entirely made up of new songs, and completely inspired by my musical history, past and present” says Carstens. “We decided to keep Bubblegum on the album, the version we recorded worked very well with the new songs and I added two covers, which are so vastly different from the originals. ACDC’s Highway to Hell was such a big part of my musical influence growing up and Sam and Dave’s Hold On (I’m Coming) was Dan’s idea and I love where the track took me. When I went into the studio, my intention was to make an album of old hits for the fans that come to my acoustic shows, but what fate had in mind took us all by surprise.”
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.
As Dan says: "Arno would come into the studio and we'd be set up for Another Universe or something and then he'd have this idea from the night before... So we'd digress and by lunch time have a brand new song going. Arno is an artist in the real sense of the word, prolific, experimental and ‘Highway to Hell’ is the 1st single from ‘Lightning Prevails’ and was released in January 2014. The original version of this track (written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young and Bon Scott) was released as the 1st single of AC/ DC's 1979 album Highway to Hell almost 2 decades ago.
The second single ‘Little Evil’, is a hauntingly beautiful duet, performed with Jamali’s Mariechan, and takes a look at someone who relentlessly blames others for their own failings. The track is scheduled for release on the 2nd June 2014.
‘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. Songs that also showcase a new side to Arno include the emotionally charged love song, dueted with Laurie Levine (‘Good Morning Sunshine’), Springbok Nude Girl’s ‘Bubblegum on my Boots’, re- arranged this time to expose the rawest beauty of Arno’s voice and
Arno Carstens
www.arnocarstens.com
D