Kingdom of Rust
Encyclopedia
Kingdom of Rust is the fourth studio album
from British
indie rock
band Doves. The album was released on 6 April 2009 in the UK via Heavenly Records
. A CD/DVD release of Kingdom of Rust, originally announced when promotion started for the album, was pulled by the label three weeks prior to the album's release. The album follows a four-year gap between their last album Some Cities
in 2005. Kingdom of Rust was met with generally positive critical acclaim, and entered the UK Albums Chart
at number 2.
, England
over the course of 2006 through early 2009. Producer John Leckie
, who has worked with Radiohead
, The Stone Roses
, and The Fall among others, was set to co-produce the entire album with the band, but was unable due to previous commitments. Instead, Leckie produced two tracks from the album--"Winter Hill
" and "10:03" (as well as the B-side "Push Me On")--and the band worked with Dan Austin (producer of Cherry Ghost
's Thirst for Romance
album; programmer for Massive Attack
) on the remaining nine songs. Tom Rowlands of the electronic music duo The Chemical Brothers
also provided the song arrangement for "10:03".
The album was preceded by first single "Kingdom of Rust
" on 30 March 2009. Doves also offered the album's lead track "Jetstream" as a free download on their website, starting from 28 January 2009. Regarding "Jetstream", the band mentioned being fans of the Vangelis
score to Blade Runner
, and wrote the song as "an imaginary song for the closing credits on Ridley Scott
's classic." The German band Kraftwerk
was another stated influence for "Jetstream." In an interview with NME
, the band said "House of Mirrors" is "about your past haunting you." A documentary on the making of the album (produced by Soup Collective and directed by long-time Doves collaborator Matthew Norman), as well as a track-by-track discussion with Jimi and Andy, premiered exclusively on the official NME website in mid April 2009. The single "Kingdom of Rust" entered the UK Singles Chart
at number 28, while second single "Winter Hill
" became the band's first single to fail to enter the Top 100, peaking at number 153. A third single release for "House of Mirrors" was canceled.
In promotion for the album, Doves appeared on Later... with Jools Holland on 14 April 2009, performing "Kingdom of Rust", "Winter Hill", and "10:03". They later appeared on the American late-night talk shows Last Call with Carson Daly
on 28 May 2009, which featured a pre-recorded video of the band performing "Kingdom of Rust" live at the Wiltern Theatre
in Los Angeles
on 16 May 2009, and then on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
on 5 June 2009, performing "The Outsiders".
The title track can be heard in the movie Zombieland.
The album is dedicated to Jimi Goodwin
's father, Francis James Goodwin, who died on 23 December 2008.
, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average score of 77, based on 23 reviews. Both The Independent
and Digital Spy
awarded the album 5 out of 5 stars, Gigwise gave the album 4.5 out of 5 stars and noted that the album is "the most daring album of Doves' career to date," and The Observer
noted in a glowing review that, "Previous albums never quite lived up to the band's facility for knockout singles, but this one holds the attention. There's a dreamy, addictive sadness to proceedings, their customary gruff melancholy now inflated to match the panoramic setting."
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
from British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band Doves. The album was released on 6 April 2009 in the UK via Heavenly Records
Heavenly Records
Heavenly Records, aka Heavenly Recordings, is a London-based record label, distributed by EMI. Founded by Jeff Barrett, a former press officer for Creation Records and many successful indie bands of the time including Happy Mondays, Heavenly Recordings' first releases were 7" and 12" singles for...
. A CD/DVD release of Kingdom of Rust, originally announced when promotion started for the album, was pulled by the label three weeks prior to the album's release. The album follows a four-year gap between their last album Some Cities
Some Cities
Some Cities is the third studio album by the British indie rock band Doves. The album was released by Heavenly Records on 21 February 2005, and became the band's second consecutive album to top the UK Albums Chart at number 1...
in 2005. Kingdom of Rust was met with generally positive critical acclaim, and entered the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
at number 2.
Production and release
The band recorded the album in a converted farmhouse barn in CheshireCheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
over the course of 2006 through early 2009. Producer John Leckie
John Leckie
John Leckie is a British music producer, notable for producing many high-profile albums such as The Stone Roses's debut and Radiohead's The Bends...
, who has worked with Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
, The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses are an English alternative rock band formed in Manchester in 1983. They were one of the pioneering groups of the Madchester movement that was active during the late 1980s and early 1990s...
, and The Fall among others, was set to co-produce the entire album with the band, but was unable due to previous commitments. Instead, Leckie produced two tracks from the album--"Winter Hill
Winter Hill (song)
"Winter Hill" is the second single from Doves' fourth studio album Kingdom of Rust. The single was released on 20 July 2009 via Heavenly Records. The song is one of three songs recorded during the album sessions produced by John Leckie . The radio edit of "Winter Hill" features a new mix by David...
" and "10:03" (as well as the B-side "Push Me On")--and the band worked with Dan Austin (producer of Cherry Ghost
Cherry Ghost
Cherry Ghost is an indie rock band from Bolton, England. Their debut album, Thirst for Romance, was released in July 2007 and entered the UK Album Charts at #7...
's Thirst for Romance
Thirst for Romance
Thirst for Romance is the debut album by Cherry Ghost, released on July 9, 2007 in the UK. The album is available on CD, digital download, and double vinyl LP. It was recorded at Ape Studios in Cheshire and Moolah Rouge Studios in Stockport...
album; programmer for Massive Attack
Massive Attack
Massive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...
) on the remaining nine songs. Tom Rowlands of the electronic music duo The Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers are a British electronic music duo comprising Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons. Originating in Manchester in 1991, along with The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, The Crystal Method, and fellow acts, they were pioneers at bringing the big beat genre to the forefront of pop culture.- Background...
also provided the song arrangement for "10:03".
The album was preceded by first single "Kingdom of Rust
Kingdom of Rust (song)
"Kingdom of Rust" is the first single from Doves' fourth studio album of the same name. The single was released on March 30, 2009 via Heavenly Records. The 7" single features the exclusive track "Push Me On," which was produced by John Leckie, while the CD single features an edited remix of "Push...
" on 30 March 2009. Doves also offered the album's lead track "Jetstream" as a free download on their website, starting from 28 January 2009. Regarding "Jetstream", the band mentioned being fans of the Vangelis
Vangelis
Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou is a Greek composer of electronic, progressive, ambient, jazz, pop rock and orchestral music, under the artist name Vangelis...
score to Blade Runner
Blade Runner
Blade Runner is a 1982 American science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, and Sean Young. The screenplay, written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, is loosely based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K...
, and wrote the song as "an imaginary song for the closing credits on Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott
Sir Ridley Scott is an English film director and producer. His most famous films include The Duellists , Alien , Blade Runner , Legend , Thelma & Louise , G. I...
's classic." The German band Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
was another stated influence for "Jetstream." In an interview with NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
, the band said "House of Mirrors" is "about your past haunting you." A documentary on the making of the album (produced by Soup Collective and directed by long-time Doves collaborator Matthew Norman), as well as a track-by-track discussion with Jimi and Andy, premiered exclusively on the official NME website in mid April 2009. The single "Kingdom of Rust" entered the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
at number 28, while second single "Winter Hill
Winter Hill (song)
"Winter Hill" is the second single from Doves' fourth studio album Kingdom of Rust. The single was released on 20 July 2009 via Heavenly Records. The song is one of three songs recorded during the album sessions produced by John Leckie . The radio edit of "Winter Hill" features a new mix by David...
" became the band's first single to fail to enter the Top 100, peaking at number 153. A third single release for "House of Mirrors" was canceled.
In promotion for the album, Doves appeared on Later... with Jools Holland on 14 April 2009, performing "Kingdom of Rust", "Winter Hill", and "10:03". They later appeared on the American late-night talk shows Last Call with Carson Daly
Last Call with Carson Daly
Last Call with Carson Daly is an American late night talk show that is broadcast on NBC. The show is hosted by Carson Daly, the half-hour show featuring celebrity interviews, documentary-style coverage of a topic, and musical performances. Last Call airs weeknights at 1:35 a.m. Eastern / 12:35 a.m....
on 28 May 2009, which featured a pre-recorded video of the band performing "Kingdom of Rust" live at the Wiltern Theatre
Wiltern Theatre
The Wiltern Theatre and adjacent 12-story Pellissier Building are Art Deco architectural landmarks located on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue in Los Angeles, California. The entire complex is commonly referred to as the Wiltern Center...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
on 16 May 2009, and then on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon on NBC. The show premiered on March 2, 2009, as the third incarnation of the Late Night franchise originated by David Letterman....
on 5 June 2009, performing "The Outsiders".
The title track can be heard in the movie Zombieland.
The album is dedicated to Jimi Goodwin
Jimi Goodwin
Jimi Goodwin is the bassist, vocalist and guitarist for Doves. Before their incarnation as Doves, the three members were a dance-club music trio called Sub Sub....
's father, Francis James Goodwin, who died on 23 December 2008.
Reception
Kingdom of Rust was met with positive reviews. At MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average score of 77, based on 23 reviews. Both The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
and Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
awarded the album 5 out of 5 stars, Gigwise gave the album 4.5 out of 5 stars and noted that the album is "the most daring album of Doves' career to date," and The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
noted in a glowing review that, "Previous albums never quite lived up to the band's facility for knockout singles, but this one holds the attention. There's a dreamy, addictive sadness to proceedings, their customary gruff melancholy now inflated to match the panoramic setting."
Track listing
Release history
| Country | Date | Label | Format | Catalogue # |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 3 April 2009 | EMI EMI The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major... |
CD | 5099969313424 |
| United Kingdom | 6 April 2009 | Heavenly Records Heavenly Records Heavenly Records, aka Heavenly Recordings, is a London-based record label, distributed by EMI. Founded by Jeff Barrett, a former press officer for Creation Records and many successful indie bands of the time including Happy Mondays, Heavenly Recordings' first releases were 7" and 12" singles for... /Virgin Records Virgin Records Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny... |
CD | HVNLP67CD |
| Double LP (heavyweight vinyl; gatefold sleeve) | HVNLP67 | |||
| Digital download (two bonus tracks) | iTunes exclusive | |||
| United States | April 7, 2009 | Astralwerks Records | CD | 5099969313424 (ASW 93134) |
| Digital download (two bonus tracks) | iTunes exclusive | |||
| April 21, 2009 | Heavenly Records Heavenly Records Heavenly Records, aka Heavenly Recordings, is a London-based record label, distributed by EMI. Founded by Jeff Barrett, a former press officer for Creation Records and many successful indie bands of the time including Happy Mondays, Heavenly Recordings' first releases were 7" and 12" singles for... /Virgin Records Virgin Records Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny... |
Double LP (heavyweight vinyl; gatefold sleeve) | HVNLP67/ASW 96959 (same as UK pressing) | |
| Japan | 22 April 2009 | Toshiba-EMI Toshiba-EMI (formerly , is one of Japan's leading music companies. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of British music company EMI Group Ltd. in June 30, 2007 after Toshiba sold off its previous 45% stake. The current CEO and president is San-e Ichii. When EMI Music Japan was trading as Toshiba-EMI, it was... |
CD (one bonus track) | TOCP-66879 |
Instrumentals of Rust
On , instrumental versions of all 11 tracks on the album were released as Instrumentals of Rust, exclusively to digital download outlets worldwide.Track listing
- "Jetstream" (Instrumental) – 5:32
- "Kingdom of Rust" (Instrumental) – 5:13
- "The Outsiders" (Instrumental) – 3:29
- "Winter Hill" (Instrumental) – 5:20
- "10:03" (Instrumental) – 4:05
- "The Greatest Denier" (Instrumental) – 3:59
- "Birds Flew Backwards" (Instrumental) – 2:54
- "Spellbound" (Instrumental) – 5:42
- "Compulsion" (Instrumental) – 5:16
- "House of Mirrors" (Instrumental) – 4:18
- "Lifelines" (Instrumental) – 4:25
Release history
| Country | Date | Label | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | 15 June 2009 | Heavenly Records | Digital download |
| North America | June 16, 2009 | EMI | |
Credits
- All songs written by Jez Williams, Jimi Goodwin, and Andy Williams.
- All instruments played by Doves except where stated.
- Produced by Doves and Dan Austin, except:
- "Winter Hill" and "10:03" produced by John LeckieJohn LeckieJohn Leckie is a British music producer, notable for producing many high-profile albums such as The Stone Roses's debut and Radiohead's The Bends...
and Doves.
- "Winter Hill" and "10:03" produced by John Leckie
- Engineered by Dan Austin, except:
- "Winter Hill" and "10:03" engineered by Adam Whittaker and Dan Austin.
- "Jetstream"
- Recorded at Frank Bough Sound III.
- Mixed by Michael H. Brauer at Quad Studios, NYC.
- Pro ToolsPro ToolsPro Tools is a digital audio workstation platform for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, developed and manufactured by Avid Technology. It is widely used by professionals throughout the audio industries for recording and editing in music production, film scoring, film, and television...
engineer and mix assistant – Will Hensley.
- "Kingdom of Rust"
- Recorded at Frank Bough Sound III and Green Gates, EyamEyamEyam is a small village in Derbyshire, England. The village is best known for being the "plague village" that chose to isolate itself when the plague was discovered there in August 1665, rather than let the infection spread...
. - Mixed by Michael H. Brauer at Quad Studios, NYC.
- Pro Tools engineer and mix assistant – Will Hensley.
- Piano – Martin RebelskiMartin RebelskiMartin Rebelski is a multi-instrumentalist musician and the keyboardist for Doves, acting as the band's unofficial fourth member...
. - Violin 1 – Belinda Hammond.
- Violin 2 – Oliver Morris.
- Viola – Alexandra Fletcher.
- Cello – Elinor Gow.
- Recorded at Frank Bough Sound III and Green Gates, Eyam
- "The Outsiders"
- Recorded at Frank Bough Sound III.
- Mixed by Michael H. Brauer at Quad Studios, NYC.
- Pro Tools engineer and mix assistant – Will Hensley.
- "Winter Hill"
- Recorded at Rockfield Studios and Frank Bough Sound III.
- Mixed by Michael H. Brauer at Quad Studios, NYC.
- Pro Tools engineer and mix assistant – Will Hensley.
- "10:03"
- Recorded at Rockfield Studios and Frank Bough Sound III.
- Mixed by Dan Austin and Jez Williams at Frank Bough Sound III and Modern World Studios.
- Arranged by Tom Rowlands.
- Piano – Martin Rebelski.
- "The Greatest Denier"
- Recorded at Frank Bough Sound III.
- Mixed by Michael H. Brauer at Quad Studios, NYC.
- Pro Tools engineer and mix assistant – Will Hensley.
- "Birds Flew Backwards"
- Recorded at Frank Bough Sound III.
- Mixed by Dan Austin and Doves at Modern World Studios.
- Mix assistant – Zac Froud.
- DilrubaEsrajThe esraj is a string instrument found in two forms throughout the north, central, and east regions of India. It is a young instrument by Indian terms, being only about 200 years old. The dilruba is found in the north, where it is used in religious music and light classical songs in the urban areas...
– Baluji Shrivastav. - Violin 1 – Belinda Hammond.
- Violin 2 – Oliver Morris.
- Viola – Alexandra Fletcher.
- Cello – Elinor Gow.
- "Spellbound"
- Recorded at Frank Bough Sound III.
- Mixed by Michael H. Brauer at Quad Studios, NYC.
- Pro Tools engineer and mix assistant – Will Hensley.
- "Compulsion"
- Recorded at Frank Bough Sound III.
- Mixed by Michael H. Brauer at Quad Studios, NYC.
- Pro Tools engineer and mix assistant – Will Hensley.
- "House of Mirrors"
- Recorded at Frank Bough Sound III.
- Mixed by Dan Austin and Jez Williams at Frank Bough Sound III and Modern World Studios.
- Mix assistant – Zac Froud.
- Piano – Martin Rebelski.
- "Lifelines"
- Recorded at Frank Bough Sound III and Moolah Rouge, StockportStockportStockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
. - Mixed by Michael H. Brauer at Quad Studios, NYC.
- Pro Tools engineer and mix assistant – Will Hensley.
- Piano – Martin Rebelski.
- Mastered by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering, Portland, MainePortland, MainePortland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
. - Sleeve design by Rick Myers; shot on location at Northlandz, Flemington, New JerseyFlemington, New JerseyFlemington is a borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 4,581. It is the county seat of Hunterdon County....
. - Band photo by Deirdre O'Callaghan.
- For Francis James Goodwin (9 May 1943 – 23 December 2008).
- Mastered by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering, Portland, Maine
- Recorded at Frank Bough Sound III and Moolah Rouge, Stockport
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
2 |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
8 |
| Australian Albums Chart | 34 |
| Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... |
72 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
79 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
89 |