read the headlines of Sweden’s redtops, as certain parts of the country have hit a newsworthy -35 degrees.

We’ve already started writing in the new year. For the past fortnight we have set up shop in an old theatre near the remote Swedish town of Alvsbacka (Latitude: 59° 43’ 0 N, Longitude: 13° 40’ 0 E, for all you GOS heads out there), between two vast lakes that have completely frozen over.

On arrival, 15 ft from the front door our van decided 7 tonnes of recording gear was all too much and rolled slowly into a ditch. After some futile struggling with snow chains and 3 twig limbed musicians pushing the back, we gave up and called the area handyman. He knew an 86 year old with a tractor who kindly offered to tow us out, once he’d finished his tea. God bless you, you beautiful gaffer of the night.

Most days are a steady -7 degrees, punctuated only by trips to the shed for more firewood and the occasional stint in the lakeside sauna (pants on, we are British after all). We share our lodgings with a pair of mice considerate enough to maintain a crumb free kitchen floor and keep the squeaking down to a minimum whilst we’re recording the melodeon.

We’ve...

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The 'Pala' band will be working on new ideas in a seculded log cabin in Sweden

We are pleased to announce our first live dates for 2012! We will be playing across Australia as part of Future Music Festival in March and will be following this with a show in Indonesia. It's gonna be huge!

03 Mar Doomben Racecourse, Brisbane, Australia [Tickets]

04 Mar Arena Joondalup, Perth, Australia [Tickets]

10 Mar Royal Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia [Tickets]

11 Mar Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia [Tickets]

12 Mar Ellis Park, Adelaide, Australia [Tickets]

17 Mar Jakarta Dome, Indonesia [ ">Tickets]

Tiaga, Carl Craig and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs have all contributed remixes

We’ve put together a special bonus edition of Pala featuring a brand new edit of Hurting by the legendary Carl Craig (!) and fantastic remixes from Tensnake, Tiga, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Benoit & Sergio and Tim Green. Listen to them all on the widget above!
FF x

Our touring buddies SBTRKT and Sampha did a great job covering Blue Cassette in their Radio 1 Live Lounge Session. You can listen to it here

This is a short mix I compiled during a hazy, post NYE slumber.  
It comprises of some favourites of 2011 as well as old gems that have a close place in my heart.
Its easy to be pessimistic at the start of a new year, but these songs keep me optimistic and hopeful.

Ed x

bellsofadderburychurch by edmacfarlane

bellsofadderburychurch Mix

1. Adrian Corker – Bells and Tape1

2. The Advisory Circle – Further Starry Wisdom 

3. Mark McGuire – Alma Reprise/Chances Are

4. Tortoise – Crest

5. Popol Vuh – MorgengruB 

6. Donald McGrombie – Stourton Wake 1 

7. The Advisory Circle – Sundial 

8. Panda Bear – Slow Motion

9. Dorias Baracca – The Only Touch

10. Simon and Garfunkel – For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her (Live) 

11. Chris Watson – Veracruz

Tonight we play our last gig of 2011 and our first of 2012 in front of 80,000 people at Edinburgh’s Hogmany celebrations. Come and join in with a chorus of Auld Lang Syne if you’re there, if not you can get it direct into your front room, register to see our set streamed live from the street party here: www.edinburghshogmanay.com

Ireland! We’re playing at the Dublin Olympia on 7 December. Should be huge!

We’ve also got a number of rescheduled UK dates coming up and there might be one or two tickets available. Support on the rescheduled dates will be the marvellous Chad Valley and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs. If you’re free, come down!

FF x

7 Dec Dublin Olympia [Tickets]

15 Dec Manchester Apollo [Tickets]

16 Dec Southampton Guildhall [Tickets]

18 Dec Newcastle Academy [Tickets]

19 Dec Nottingham Rock City [Tickets]

20 Dec Glasgow Barrowlands [Tickets]

The initial lineups for Lollapalooza's Santiago, Chile and Sao Paulo, Brazil incarnations have been announced. Both South American Lollas will feature MGMT, TV on the Radio, Band of Horses, Peaches, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Friendly Fires, Thievery Corporation and more, and will be headlined by Foo Fighters and Arctic Monkeys. Bjoerk will also play in Chile, and Lollapalooza founder Perry Ferrell's own Jane Addiction will perform in Brazil.