asher gould-murtagh
Do you know the number to call if you get into trouble out here?
Bill and Qu Mi, the duo known candidly as World News 808909, hit the road again.
Another show in paradise, playing mostly to the cactuses sitting lifeless in the sand. And while the gigs weren’t exactly selling well, the most recent involving two hecklers demanding "more guitars", the duo were buoyed by the fact that they were only slightly in the red for the tour thus far.
Speeding across the Arbusto Marchito in a fully loaded semi-truck – a big rig – the pair knew exactly where they were headed... “Lacey Lucy’s.”
If you didn't already know, Lacey’s – "the last stop in town" – is a truck stop, motel and bar in the middle of nowhere and at the crossroads to everywhere. It’s a great place to rest, fill up the tank and smash a beer or two in between the endless hours of driving.
The sun was hot but cooling as it set. As it fell the sky became a blanket of brilliant orange and purple, with the heat causing barren mountains to flutter in the distance as it warped the air in-between.
The thing with Lacey Lucy’s was, if you knew how to ask, you could get pretty much anything you wanted there…
A fresh tank of gas.
A dive into a cool pool of water.
A prescription for spice.
A pair of eyes looking back at yours.
Or perhaps something a little more dangerous?!
Bill had once met a guy at the bar who swore that Lacey's was run by witches. Knowing the superstitious nature of Qu, he had decided quite sensibly never to mention it to him. Why worry him?
Eager to get there, Bill drove like an arrow towards their destination while Qu sat contently in the passenger seat on "watch duty". What they were watching for exactly, neither knew, nor had they really ever discussed it, not even since Bill acquired the gun.
You see, a few days earlier when they stopped for gas, Bill had stepped inside to pay when a dusty, 70-something guy startled him by shouting – “Number?”
Taken slightly aback, Bill shot a glance through the blinds of the window towards the pumps...
“That one there!” he had said, pointing at the only semi-truck, which for that matter was the only vehicle of any kind in sight.
“Do you know the number to call if you get into trouble out here?” the old man muttered over the counter discontentedly.
He had blonde hair, like a scarecrow, but with a taught button up plaid shirt and a pair of oversized jeans. He certainly didn’t seem modern, but he gave the impression that he knew how to take care of himself.
Feeling slightly concerned and realising he needed to diffuse the weirdness, Bill laughed unconvincingly and said – “Look buddie, we’ve got a long drive ahead. I don’t mean to be rude, but can you just tell me how much it is?”
Barely adjusting his gaze, the cashier leaned forwards in slow motion and whispered - “I see you boys out there, not drawing attention to yourselves or anything.”
He shot Bill a sudden, piercing glance with the weight of a thousand daggers.
“And I’m just a good guy trying to keep people safe in these parts because hell, lately, I got to. You don’t just travel across the Arbusto without no protection. They say it’s cursed, and hell, when it doesn’t rain for 34 years in a place, that sounds like a curse to me."
His mouth curled into a dry smile as he raised a mid-sized weapon with a wooden stock above the counter.
"You can take the rifle for 50.”
Bill knew full well that there was always something lurking around an unsuspecting corner to cause an inconvenience – be it human, plant, animal, insect or a serious weather system.
The mountains were rushing closer alongside the truck windows now, looming jagged, raised like red cliffs from the earth’s floor.
After what felt like hours, Bill felt the sun slowly begin to creep over the horizon again, illuminating the sky for enchanting panoramic views.
They were almost there! Qu had his fingers firmly crossed that Alexandrité would be working today. They had met just once before where Qu had fallen for her elegant but fierce charm. He was certainly known to play with fire.
Alexandrité had long, silky dark hair with a soft face and sharp energy. She was so calm that it felt like you could probably run her over and it wouldn’t phase her… she’d just glide away like she did when serving tables at the main bar.
Whenever he got close, Bill always felt like he could hear the electric hum of the reddy-pink neon light above the entrance to Lacey Lucy's, even from a few miles away.
The sign really was quite a feat - a 15-foot Lucy, wearing a long dress with one leg extended, but then the neon lights alternate ever few seconds revealing a rather raunchy leg as she pulls up her skirt to the knee and simultaneously slams a shot of tequila!
As the motel complex and hot tubs finally came into sight, World News parked up and walked into the office to check themselves in.
The hum of the neons was so vibrant, even first thing in the morning, that it felt like walking into an electrical storm. Had they known what was to come, they surely would have turned around and fled right there and then...
Another World was written by World News (Bembridge, Cooksley, Mitchell).
Alexandrité was mixed by Brandon Bak (Possum, Kali Horse, Ooz). Lot Lizard was mixed by Josh Korody (Breeze, Nailbiter, Tess Parks). Another World was mastered by Asher Gould-Murtagh.
The cover for the Another World project created from concept artwork by artist Leesa Westwood.
The Last Stop In Town… Lacey Lucy’s!
World News 808909 are back with an electrifying new single, ‘Lot Lizard’.
Okay, let’s just start by clearing this up – you might see World News being touted as World News 808909 – the boys tell us nothing has changed... “We are World News. We are World News 808909. We are 808909.”
Thanks guys for clearing that up.
This is the first ever World News song to be written and recorded by all three members previous members! That’s right, this one was co-written by founding member Tyler Cooksley who also plays the DSI Tempest, which is the heartbeat of World News.
This time we see World News link up again with producer and mixing engineer, Josh Korody (Breeze, Nailbiter), and you can hear Josh’s thumping tones loud and clear on Lot Lizard. Asher Gould-Murtagh mastered this beauty in a single pass, cos he gets it.
Concept artwork for the Another World project was completed by artist Leesa Westwood as part of a failed bid for funding… but her work is amazing and we're pleased to share it was used in a collage form as part of the cover art in addition to your usual World News weirdness.
We are also pleased to announce that this is the first of two Another World singles, and Alexandrité, the follow-up will be released in July 2025 so watch this space.
Learn About the 'World News' Remixers from In The Room
Time flies when you're having fun.
It's now been a whole week since we released 💐 In The Room 💐 [SS124], a World News single so hot... okay, you get the picture.
The single arrives alongside a bunch of remixes that go hard, exploring the sonic space of World News.
But who are Eschaton Crises, MOONBEAN, Personal Data, A.G. Murtagh and Josh Korody? People, for sure. Unique people in this people-centric existence.
Some of them are more peopley than others.
Eschaton Crises
Eschaton Crises (London, UK) is the final event in the divine plan, a socio-historical circumstance.
Emanating from somewhere ye olde London (UK) this musical anomaly, when perceived, is often a harbinger of breakbeats, acid-rave, and the damned rowdy.
Known in the underground as an organizer of DJ-focused community events, Eschaton Crises brings the party to the end of the world and back.
MOONBEAN
MOONBEAN (Toronto, CA) is a queer, Ontario-based electronic duo who lace their live, synth hardware sets with lush vocals.
Their experimental synth-pop weaves in psychedelia, acid-house, techno, and disco, while their performance style gives off punk energy.
Their musical inspirations align with Little Dragon, Peaches, Metric and Eurythmics. In the past 2 years, they released their debut EP and played festivals around Ontario, Germany, and toured Europe twice.
Listen to MOONBEAN.
Personal Data
Personal Data (Hamilton, CA) is a dude who makes beats and twists knobs to weave an ever-evolving musical landscape.
You may know him better as a founding father of WORLD NEWS.
Personal Data is a deep listener of electronic music who combines his love with an often improvised approach, using an arsenal of synths, drum machines, modular and whatever else he can get his hands on.
A.G. Murtagh
Asher Gould-Murtagh (Montreal, CA) is a musician, producer and mix engineer who has worked with artists such as Born Ruffians, Mother Tongues and Kali Horse.
Asher G.M. has seen his work released on labels such as Sub Pop, Yep Roc, Telephone Explosion, Safe Sounds, and many more.
Asher is currently based out of Studio Toute Garnie in Montreal’s Mile End, a fully-equipped recording and mixing space operated by members of the Montreal trio BRAIDS, and built by producer / engineer Damian Taylor (Björk, The Prodigy, Lido Pimienta).
Josh Korody
Josh Korody is a multi-instrumentalist, producer and mixing engineer who has worked on a plethora of award-winning records with award-winning artists.
Korody can be found running the electronic label, Nodding Heads.
A man of many talents, Korody also fronts Breeze, which is a 90s inspired group that has released multi-albums via HDD and performed sessions with the likes of KEXP and ourselves.
He also produced and mastered the single for In The Room.
Oh jeez, is that really the time?
World News Crash Land with New Single ~ In The Room
We've been waiting patiently and the day is finally here.
Hardware electronic duo – World News – have just released their first single of 2024, accompanied by a set of remixes so hot, you'll need to bathe in dry ice to cool yourself down.
It's steamy. It's sexy. It's a little confused. And it's all IN THE ROOM.
In The Room was recorded by World News at Safe Sounds, produced and mastered by Josh Korody.
Qu Mi and Bill Cutbill have been writing, recording and performing World News since January 2022, following the exile of Tyler Cooksley (more on that later).
This marks the first official release from the duo ~ though they have put out a couple of strictly limited edition GOLD tapes that have since flown the nest.
Well today, In The Room [SS124] arrives in style as a single with hard-hitting remixes from international artists including Eschaton Crises (LONDON, UK), MOONBEAN (TORONTO, CA), Personal Data (HAMILTON, CA), Asher Gould-Murtagh (MONTREAL, CA) and Josh Korody (TORONTO, CA).
You can listen to the whole thing on Spotify, iTunes, bandcamp or your preferred music platform. Trust me baby, it's free.
What's more, there's a music video coming soon, directed by previous collaborator, Danny Alexander. Alexander known for the pandemic documentary about the Toronto scene, No Tickets At The Door. Anyhow, we won't keep you waiting for too long I promise... subscribe here to be notified when it hits.
You can support Safe Sounds and its artists by listening to all of our releases on your preferred streaming platform, liking and re-listening. You can purchase directly from World News on their bandcamp, if you want to.
But there's no pressure at all. More importantly, we hope that this release reaches your ears and washes over you in a way that you enjoy and keeps your wanting more.
Stay tuned.
Artist Spotlight - World News Remix EP
Community is everything. We're so excited to be able to feature remixes from International artists... some fresh and some familiar faces... as part of our most recent release for World News' A Message for the Kids!
Find out more about each contributor below and listen along on your preferred platform now or via bandcamp ~
MMBris
MMBris is an Anishinaabe musician, composer and writer residing in Treaty three territory. She loves to venture into the unknown while making music and draws inspiration from the land.
rryrry
rryrry (Harry Perry) is an eclectic British composer and academic working in a variety of audible mediums. His acoustic ensemble music has been selected for workshops by BBC NOW, Ensemble Cymru and the Allegri String Quartet; his electroacoustic music has been diffused by ElectroacousticWALES and his popular work (both solo and in collaboration) has received continued support and regular airplay by Tom Robinson on BBC 6 Music.
Harry's work largely focuses on the interoperability of cultural practice and attempts to redefine our long held concepts of genre, culture and artistic purpose. He is currently reading for a PhD in Composition at Bangor University.
Assassin Bug
Assassin Bug produces and spins a range of obscure, bass-heavy styles ranging from uk garage to drum n bass, dubstep to footwork, intertwined with moments of sparkly electronica. With the ability to seamlessly blend a multitude of underground sounds, experimental beats, ethereal dreamscapes, and synthetic sound design, she guides the room on a journey throughout her fast paced, driven, dark yet uplifting sets.
Her work is driven by the belief that sound, music, and dance are all essential to human nature and expression.
A producer and multi-instrumentalist first; Assassin Bug knows what her audience seeks on the dancefloor, shaking the room up and keeping everybody on their toes. Harnessing her experience hosting shows, producing for a variety of different musicians and doing studio session work, Assassin Bug dedicates her life to music and is always seeking new challenges and experiences.
Asher Gould-Murtagh
Asher Gould-Murtagh is a Montreal, QC based producer, musician and sound engineer. Former Touring member of Zones and multi-instrumentalist and singer of Mr. Joy. He has produced, mixed, and mastered numerous albums & EPs for artists such as Born Ruffians, Beliefs, Doc Dunn, Mother Tongues and many more...
2021 saw several releases for Gould-Murtagh, including a collaborative EP titled "And Friends", Mr. Joy's EP "Yes Yes Yes!" and the collaborative split LP "Dr. Joy" with Mr. Joy and Doc Dunn.
He currently works as a freelance producer/engineer, based out of his home studio in Montreal.
Theo Vandenhoff
Theo Vandenhoff is a Canadian synth-pop musician who sees visions.
Taking inspiration from classic post-punk, Theo combines hard synth and drum machine lines with a strong deep voice and polished production on the debut EP Heartache Is An Empty Room.
Despite the somewhat grim context of HIAER, there is an overbearing sense of optimism that seeps throughout it and a calmness which exudes through the harsher textures within the music. It's built to be catchy, danceable, and at points triumphant!
Listen to World News' A Message for the Kids in full now.