Distant Sky: Live in Copenhagen

Distant Sky: Live in Copenhagen is an extended play by the Australian rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. It was released on 28 September 2018 on Bad Seed Ltd. Containing four tracks from a performance at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark in October 2017, the EP was preceded by a concert film of the same name directed by David Barnard. Critical response to Distant Sky: Live in Copenhagen was unanimously positive and the EP charted worldwide, reaching number one on the United Kingdom's Vinyl Albums chart.

Distant Sky: Live in Copenhagen
EP by
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Released28 September 2018 (2018-09-28)
Recorded20 October 2017 (2017-10-20)
VenueRoyal Arena (Copenhagen)
Length28:45
LabelBad Seed
Producer
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds chronology
Lovely Creatures: The Best of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
(2017)		 Distant Sky: Live in Copenhagen
(2018)		 Ghosteen
(2019)

Recording

Distant Sky: Live in Copenhagen was recorded live at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark on 20 October 2017 as part of the tour for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' sixteenth studio album Skeleton Tree (2016). Danish soprano Else Torp is featured on "Distant Sky", the Skeleton Tree song after which the EP is titled.[1]

Warren Ellis and Nick Cave produced Distant Sky: Live in Copenhagen the following year. The selected four tracks from the performance were mixed by Matt Mysko, Paul Pritchard and Toby Hubert at Abbey Road Studios in London, England, with Will Shapland supervising. The EP was subsequently mastered by John Davies at Metropolis Mastering in London.[1]

Release

Distant Sky: Live in Copenhagen was released on 28 September 2018 on Bad Seed Ltd, the band's own imprint. It was issued as a 12-inch record and digital download and made available for streaming.[2] The EP was preceded by a concert film of the same name, directed by David Barnard, that was released in theatres worldwide for one night only on 12 April 2018.[3] The film was later made available in full on Nick Cave's official website for a period between April 19 and 22 and in individual parts on YouTube.[4][5]

Upon its release Distant Sky: Live in Copenhagen charted in several European countries, including Denmark itself.[6] The EP was particularly successful in the United Kingdom, where it placed in the top 10 on the Independent Albums and Record Store charts and peaked at number one on the Vinyl Albums Chart in its first week of release.[7][8][9]

Reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic82/100[10]
Review scores
SourceRating
Clash8/10[11]
Drowned in Sound9/10[12]
No Ripcord9/10[13]
Rolling Stone[14]

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, Distant Sky: Live in Copenhagen received an average score of 82, based on 4 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[10] Writing for Clash, Mat Smith awarded the EP an eight-out-of-ten rating and called it "an extraordinary live document". Smith selected the title track as the highlight, in particular praising Warren Ellis' "mournful" violin performance and Else Torp's "stirring vocal", which he said was "enough to render even the hardest-hearted individual a bawling mess."[11] Drowned in Sound writer Nicoletta Wylde rated Distant Sky: Live in Copenhagen nine out of ten and referred to the EP as "bullet sharp". Wylde, though somewhat critical of the mix, summarised the EP as "glorious" and concluded that Cave's performance was "what happens when a lone wolf suddenly needs to reach out and touch. It's the chaotic scream around loosing [sic] a child. It's a careful help me into the darkness. It’s an invitation to come closer, to hold hands."[12] In another nine-out-of-ten review for No Ripcord, Joe Marvilli said "Nick Cave is still at his peak" and selected both "Jubilee Street" and "Distant Sky" as highlights, adding that "whether they arrive with a bang or a breeze, Cave's songs remain among the most impactful in all of music."[13] Rolling Stone awarded the EP a three-out-of-five-star rating, with reviewer Kory Grow calling the Copenhagen performance "especially vibrant" and referring to the title track as a "standout" that "stays with you."[14]

Track listing
Side A
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."Jubilee Street"Nick CaveCave · Warren Ellis7:54
2."Distant Sky"CaveCave · Ellis6:30
Total length:14:24
Side B
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."From Her to Eternity"Cave · Anita LaneCave · Blixa Bargeld · Hugo Race · Barry Adamson · Mick Harvey9:00
2."The Mercy Seat"CaveCave · Harvey5:21
Total length:14:21

Personnel

All personnel credits adapted from Distant Sky: Live in Copenhagen's notes.[1]

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Additional performers
Technical personnel
  • Warren Ellis – production
  • Nick Cave – production
  • Henrik Nilsson – sound supervising
  • Pelle Nilsson – engineering
  • Will Shapland – mix engineering supervising
  • Matt Mysko – mix engineering
  • Paul Pritchard – additional mix engineering
  • Toby Hulbert – additional mix engineering
  • John Davis – mastering, lacquer cutting
Design personnel
  • Hingston Studio – design
  • Alexander Weigert – photography

Charts
Chart (2018) Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[15] 67
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[6] 34
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[16] 82
Scottish Albums (OCC)[17] 31
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[18] 66
UK Albums (OCC)[19] 74
UK Digital Albums (OCC)[20] 26
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[7] 8
UK Record Store (OCC)[8] 3
UK Physical Albums (OCC)[21] 30
UK Vinyl Albums (OCC)[9] 1

Release history
Region Date Format Label Catalogue
Worldwide[2] 28 September 2018 12-inch record Bad Seed Ltd BS017V
Digital download · streaming N/A

References
  1. Distant Sky: Live in Copenhagen (Album notes). Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Bad Seed Ltd. 2018. BS017V.CS1 maint: others (link)
  2. "Distant Sky EP – Live in Copenhagen Out Now". Nick Cave. 28 September 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  3. "New Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds Live Concert Film 'Distant Sky'". Nick Cave. 15 February 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  4. "Stream Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds' 'Distant Sky' live film | News". DIY. Sonic Media Group. 11 April 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  5. "Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Distant Sky – Live in Copenhagen". YouTube. Alphabet. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  6. "Danishcharts.dk – Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Distant Sky - Live In Copenhagen". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  7. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  8. "Official Record Store Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  9. "Official Vinyl Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  10. "Distant Sky: Live in Copenhagen [EP] by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  11. Smith, Mat (1 October 2018). "Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Distant Sky (Live in Copenhagen) | Reviews". Clash. Music Republic. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  12. Wylde, Nicoletta (25 September 2018). "EP Review: Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Distant Sky: Live in Copenhagen / Releases". Drowned in Sound. Silentway. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  13. Marvilli, Joe (18 October 2018). "Quick Takes (August/September 2018) – Music Feature". No Ripcord. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  14. Grow, Kory (2 October 2018). "Review: Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, 'Distant Sky: Live in Copenhagen EP'". Rolling Stone. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  15. "Austriancharts.at – Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Distant Sky - Live In Copenhagen" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  16. "Offiziellecharts.de – Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Distant Sky - Live In Copenhagen" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  17. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  18. "Swisscharts.com – Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Distant Sky - Live In Copenhagen". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  19. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  20. "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  21. "Official Physical Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
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