What We Say
With over 1400 legendary late nights, sold-out clubs and triumphant festivals under their belts, The New Deal have returned with a passion in 2020 with ‘TND3’ – the third incarnation of the renowned live electronica trio: Jamie Shields (keyboards), Dan Kurtz (bass), and drummer Davide Di Renzo .
Their new album Age of Discovery is the second volume in “The Asylum Sessions” - an album series named after Dan’s studio where the band spent fifteen months jamming and recording with Davide in preparation for TND 3.0. Click HERE to listen to the new album.
“We decided to share this music with the people that we felt would most enjoy it - our fans. The energy and sound on these tracks are raw but we feel that these cuts best represent our creative spirit during the time leading up to and following our first TND3 shows in June, 2019. Our writing process and the progression of writing new music starts with improvisational jams in the studio. We then work out the melodies and the new songs are then rehearsed, played live, and hand selected for new albums.
Most of these jams were mixed live and in the moment by MSG so there was no turning back for any of us; what we created in the moment is what ended up as the finished product. It’s that spontaneous energy that jumps out from these improvisational experiments and it’s what makes “The Asylum Sessions” series so special to us as artists and musicians.” explains keyboardist Jamie Shields.
The New Deal first began in Toronto in 1999, quickly gaining support from Toronto’s underground club scene as pioneers in electronica, recreating the DJ experience with live, improvised music. Soon the band brought their interpretation of Electro House, Trance, Breakbeat and Drum & Bass to the US where they were embraced by the crowds at NYC’s Wetlands Preserve and cultivated a loyal following in the American jam scene.
After twelve years of touring, The New Deal took a hiatus in 2011; Dan spent much of the next few years touring the world with Electropop band Dragonette. When The New Deal returned to stages in 2014 they brought on board a new drummer
in Dragonette’s Joel Stouffer. For three years, Dan, Jamie, and Joel enjoyed another successful round of touring and recording, and in 2017 Joel amicably parted ways to pursue other musical interests.
In 2018, The New Deal welcomed drummer extraordinaire Davide Di Renzo into the fold. After several months of shedding in the studio, the band played their first live shows with Davide in June 2019, and their first new album Phoenix in September 2019 . Now with the release of Age of Discovery , the band continues their long anticipated return to the touring and festival circuit.
“ One difference in Volume Two is the inclusion of the TND favourites “Home” and “Deep Sun”, two tracks released on previous TND albums. The recording you hear on “Age Of Discovery” is actually Davide’s first time playing those songs. We listened once or twice to some old versions and then decided to just wade in and see what would happen if we tried to play them. I was astounded by Davide’s approach. He took the songs in directions that I had never dreamed of and when the session was over I walked into the control room, mixed a copy of that jam and added it to the album!” – Jamie Shields
