Newly Remastered in Celebration of the Band’s 25th Anniversary
When Michael Learns To Rock, comprised of Jascha Richter, Kåre Wanscher, Mikkel Lentz and former member Soren Madsen – signed their first record deal , it never crossed their minds that they would become a hit sensation in Asia very shortly after the release of their self-titled first album. Today, 25 years and 11 million albums later, Michael Learns To Rock continue to record new music and tour new cities in Asia, where they are still a huge draw for fans.
2014 marks the 25th anniversary of Michael Learns To Rock’s first record deal with EMI Medley in Denmark. To mark this important milestone, Michael Learns To Rock and Warner Music (which acquired EMI label Parlophone in 2013) are launching a special series of celebrations over the next 12 months.
Founding member and lead singer Jascha Richter remarked, “Not 25 minutes, but 25 years have gone but not really disappeared. Thanks to all our fans who kept our band alive. Technology has changed the world… I don’t feel that anything really changed regarding our band. We are still 3 boys who enjoy playing music together.”
Kicking off this celebration will be the reissue of the band’s first 5 studio albums – “Michael Learns to Rock”, “Colours”, “Played On Pepper”, “Nothing To Lose” and “Blue Night”, which have been re-mastered for the first time on audiophile format ADMS (Audiofile Digital Master Series) for digital formats, and Mastered for iTunes format for Apple iTunes.
Band member Mikkel Lentz meticulously went through hundreds of demo material, and together with Jascha and Kåre, selected the final list of bonus recordings and tracks. “It seems like the perfect moment to take our earliest songs and breathe new life to the songs that we love,” Kåre shared, adding “I hope that the reissue of our first 5 albums will also bring our music to the attention of a new generation of MLTR lovers.”
For Warner Music Asia’s Executive Vice President, Mr. Calvin Wong, this project is a homecoming of sorts. Calvin and his team launched Michael Learns To Rock in Asia and he knows the band and their music intimately: “This is an extremely important band in Asia and for Warner Music. Their catalogue has created multiple sales records in many Asian countries.”
These reissues mark the first wave of releases, with more to follow in the roll-out of this year-long music celebration. As part of the 25th Anniversary activities, the band has just completed a brand new photo shoot and sat down for a new TV interview, which will be featured in a TV special scheduled to air in each Asian territory in the third or fourth quarter of this year. (Please check with your local Warner Music representative for broadcast details.)
Michael Learns To Rock is planning to return to Asia in late-2014 and the new year for more sold-out shows, which will no doubt re-ignite the mass sing-along sessions that have become a hallmark of their concerts.
About Michael Learns To Rock
Michael Learns To Rock originated in Denmark between friends Jascha, Kåre, Mikkel and (former member) Søren in 1988. Their melodious hit singles made them a huge success in Asia with songs like ‘The Actor’, “Sleeping Child’, ’25 Minutes’ and “That’s Why You Go Away”, just to name a few. To the band, it has always been about the music; music that has sold over 11 million albums globally, songs that have logged more than 6 million paid / digital downloads and music videos viewed more than 50 million times on YouTube.