SEASON 11 begins!!!! Russell & Robert meet legendary musician Nick Rhodes, the founding member of the iconic pop rock band Duran Duran.
We discuss Pop Art and Roy Lichtenstein, his early trips to New York where he first met Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Debbie Harry and Francesco Clemente, his admiration for Picabia, Warhol, the 17th Century Baroque period, and classical art such as De Ribera and Caravaggio. We explore working with numerous artists for Duran Duran including David Lynch on a live concert film and notably Patrick Nagel for the Rio (1982) album sleeve, collecting art that began when he was aged 17 with his first Dali print, his thoughts on NFTs and his friendships with leading contemporary artists like KAWS and Katherine Bernhardt, buying a Picasso on an Amex card and his experiences visiting art fairs like Frieze!
We hear his memories of Mr Chow's legendary restaurant with Grace Jones, Warhol and many iconic creatives, staying at La Colombe d'Or art hotel in France and the brand new Duran Duran album sleeve which he worked on with Japanese photographer Daisuke Yokota. We discover his passion for photography and Polaroids, the differences between analogue vs digital, his fascination with mythology, astronomy, numerology and science which has influenced his new 'Astronomia' project with Wendy Bevan. Finally we chat about his friendship with the late Duggie Fields and his numerous visits to his favourite Ikon gallery in Birmingham.
Duran Duran have sold over 100 million records, had 18 American hit singles, 21 UK Top 20 tunes and continue to perform to huge concert audiences around the world since the band first formed in 1980. Consistently fusing art, technology, fashion and a signature sense of style with their unique and infectious brand of music, singer Simon Le Bon, keyboardist Nick Rhodes, bassist John Taylor and drummer Roger Taylor have proven themselves timeless, always innovating and reinventing, to remain ahead of the curve.
'Astronomia' is a collaboration between the artists Nick Rhodes and Wendy Bevan. It is a creative collision of analogue synthesizers, violins, voices and orchestral arrangements fueled by their shared attraction to the Universe. 'The Fall of Saturn'; is the first of four albums in the Astronomia project, first released back in March 20, 2021, followed by three further releases, on the equinoxes and solstices for the remainder of the year. Each individual piece is a sonic painting, a tapestry of rich textures and haunting melodies forming soundscapes with an otherworldly atmosphere. Looking to the transcendent beauty of the skies, this genre defying debut album explores the fluidity of human emotions.
Follow @AstronomiaVolumes and @DuranDuran on Instagram! Duran Duran's new hit album 'Future Past', and 'Astronomia: The Fall Of Saturn', Nick Rhodes' incredible new collaboration with Wendy Bevan, are both OUT NOW from all good record stores and available to stream online! Visit https://duranduran.com/ and learn more about 'Astronomia' records here: https://duranduran.com/2021/astronomia-by-nick-rhodes-wendy-bevan/
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