Abbey Road Studios has unveiled Live Cuts, a new series of filmed studio sessions in which artists record two songs in one take, which are immediately cut direct to vinyl.
The launch season for Live Cuts is presented in association with Because Music, in celebration of the independent label’s 20th anniversary. Their 2004 debut signing, Amadou & Mariam, are the first act to feature in season one of Live Cuts, with performances of Bofu Safou and La Realite, recorded live in Abbey Road’s Studio Three.
Celebrating the craft of recording and mastering, the sessions result in a 12-inch single for each release, with the tracks also made available on streaming platforms. Each episode is also accompanied by an exclusive short film illuminating the creative and technical processes, alongside an interview with the artist.
Amadou & Mariam have been making music for over 40 years. Their 2004 album Dimanche à Bamako, released via Because Music, gained international acclaim, leading to tours, awards and global success. As ambassadors of Malian music, they perform at major festivals like Glastonbury.
The duo have collaborated with Damon Albarn and toured with U2 and Coldplay. Their new best-of album, La Vie Est Belle, features popular songs like Sabali (34 million Spotify streams) and new singles Mogolu and La Vie Est Belle.
It’s a brilliant showcase of the expertise of our mastering and recording engineers
Mark Robertson
Amadou & Mariam said: “Recording at Abbey Road was a dream for us. Being in a place filled with so much music history brought a special energy to our work, and it felt like we were part of something bigger. It’s an experience we’ll carry with us forever."
Mark Robertson, Abbey Road’s head of brand, said: “Harking back to how the very first recordings were made, our Live Cuts series is for the bravest artists as there is just one chance, one time, one take and the performance is committed to vinyl forever! It’s a brilliant showcase of the expertise of our mastering and recording engineers, and a real thrill to have Amadou & Mariam bring their joy to our house for the first episode, followed by further vibrancy from across the Because roster.”
Because Music UK’s managing director, Rhian Emanuel, said: ”We are delighted to partner with our friends at Abbey Road for this exciting series of live performances with some of our most treasured artists. Launching the series with Amadou & Mariam on the precise day they released their debut album, Dimanche à Bamako, 20 years ago is also a wonderful opportunity to kick off our anniversary celebrations. It is always a joy for us and our artists to collaborate with such masters in the field of audio recording and we can’t wait to share this first series with everyone.”
The recording engineer was Gordon Davidson, and the session was mastered by Miles Showell.
Season one of Live Cuts will feature three Because Music signings with sessions released monthly. Crystal Murray will be available in December, followed by Lsdxoxo in January. Further details of these and the 2025 episodes will be announced in the coming weeks.
The Amadou & Mariam Live Cuts vinyl releases are available for pre-order now, exclusively via Because Music and available to stream now via DSPs.
PHOTO: Sam Rockman
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