𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗔𝗥𝗬: 𝗕𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗟𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗨𝗡

”𝙒𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙚𝙥𝙞𝙘 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙘.“
(Brian Molko, ShockHound, June 2009)

Exactly 12 years ago today, on June 8th 2009, “Battle for the sun” was released. It reached number 8 in the UK Albums Chart.

📀 𝗕𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗟𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗨𝗡 (𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗹𝗯𝘂𝗺)
🎵 http://bit.ly/2FyEe1v 🎵

Photo credits down below

Placebo's sixth long-player marked a milestone in the band's career because it was a record about “stepping out of the darkness into the light” and it was also their first one with drummer Steve Forrest.
Brian said about their quite unusual and positive approach to the album that he hopes it will gain them more fans than it will alienate. And Stefan explained that ”'Battle for the sun' was like a new born band for him (see quotes below).

All tracks were recorded at Metalworks Studios in Toronto, Canada, and produced by David Bottrill, except for “Kings of medicine”. This songs was originally made for a “Don't drink and drive” campaign and produced by Dimitri Tikovoi, who worked with the band on their previous album “Meds”.
Four singles were released from the record: "For what it's worth”, “The never-ending Why”, “Ashtray Heart” and “Bright Lights”.

Photo credit: Jean-Baptiste Quentin

📌 𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗙𝗔𝗡 𝗢𝗡 “𝗕𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗟𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗨𝗡” 📌
📢 ”There is definitely a bigger sense of hope and optimism on this record, but Placebo's music and lyrics are never going to be like a dance in a field of flowers you know? There is always the fascination in there with the darker side of human emotions.”
(Clic Music, April 2009)

📢 ”'Battle for the sun' is like a new born band in a way. The record has more light, more hope and more optimism.”
(I Like Music, May 2009)

📌 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗡 𝗢𝗡 “𝗕𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗟𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗨𝗡” 📌
📢 “We’ve made a record about choosing life, and choosing to live, about stepping out of the darkness and into the light. Not necessarily turning your back on the darkness because it’s there, it’s essential; it’s a part of who you are, but more about the choice of standing in the sunlight instead.
I’m very optimistic about the future. I’m in a positive frame of mind and a good headspace. It’s very exciting. There’s a lot of life in the old dog just yet.”
(NME, 16th May 2009)

📢 ”I hope it gains us more fans than it alienates but it's the only record that we could have made right now.”
(Big Cheese, 2009)

Photo credit:  Joseph Llanes

📢 "During the recording of the new album we forced ourselves to stay as far away from rock as possible. We only listened to classic, or the Fleet Foxes and Sígur Ros. It was important to live in complete emptiness, to get out of our habits, temptations – that's why we left London for Canada."
(Les Inrockuptibles, 2009)

📢 “The previous one was a very, very dark record. We couldn't, as people, have sunk any lower within ourselves, so the only way was kind of up. In this new record there is more hope, there is more optimism, there is finally the possibility of redemption somewhere within all of this.“
(Phnom Penh Post, December 8th 2008)

📢 “With 'Battle for the sun' we step in the sunlight – or at least we try. It is our Technicolor-record. And the good thing is: this was by far the most easiest album to make. Whit thanks to Dave Bottrill. We already knew that he’s a great producer because of his work with Tool and Deus, but he is above all a great mediator. He can catch the psychology of bands like no other.“
(De Standaat, May 30th 2009)

📢 "If you compare it to our previous album, which is certainly the darkest of our career, it's true that you could think everything is centered on optimism. At the same time, I'm not sure everyone would find this album so optimistic, it's all relative. In any case, we wanted to do something more colorful, not as dark as the last time."
(Elegy, 2009)

Photo credit pic 1: Cover of the album, Trip Fontaine, Joseph Llanes (2), Laetizia Forget, Jean-Baptiste Quentin, Torsten Roman / edit by me

Post by Silke