Robin Auld - Love Kills: The Collection - Streaming Album

Robin Auld matured into the role of master singer/songwriter in the space of a few years by releasing four albums in the first five years of his recording career. In fact there are few southern African artists active today who can match his composition output and ability, in the adult contemporary genre. This goes for his performances in his recordings as well.

A truly surprising album scheduled for release on 24th July 2025 is testimony to his huge talent. Titled Love Kills: The Collection, it is a sort of retrospective compilation of some of the works he wrote in his spell working in London some time ago and a few songs from the time immediately thereafter. The repertoire draws from two previous albums under the name Love Kills, issued in different parts of the world. Some of the songs have not been available on digital streaming release before.

There are 16 songs, re-worked, remastered, overdubbed and sonically pumped up by Auld himself in his home studio. The original productions are by of his former band-mate Murray Anderson and by the late Johannesburg producer Chris Ghelakis. Both of the original projects are from the late 1990s.

It is a real surprise, especially because as mentioned most of the tracks have be released before in different guises but somehow they sound so different. There is obviously something retro about it and at the same time the songs have proved timeless. The tracks are a mix of biographical and social comment, and of course love songs which brought him to media attention in the first place. His considerable ability as a guitar player is also showcased on the album.

Auld has seen success in the pop arena, as a recording artist and as a live performer. His releases have topped the charts in Southern Africa. As solo act and with his former group Z-Astaire he has filled concert halls across the region, and he continues to draw crowds in different configurations.

The new release is on the Mountain Records label with whom Robin had success in the early 1980s with the songs he recorded with star producer Kevin Shirley. Robin has over a dozen albums to his name now.

He was born in Zambia, moving to Cape Town in his school years where he began his music career in the 1980s, with time for surfing and fishing in between. Later he spent a chapter of his professional life working in London with visits to Germany and the USA. The influences of African music and Western rock are both to be heard on this record.

Robin returned to South Africa around the beginning of the 2000s where he is based. 

Mountain Records

 

(c) Songwrights Publishers

Music Download and Streaming Link  > https://orcd.co/zd6prep

Statement from the artist - 

"Love Kills: The Collection" is a body of songs written over 2 years playing extensively in London.  It was recorded at Milestone studios in Cape Town in 1991, featuring Lloyd Martin on drums, Greg Higgins on bass, Murray Anderson on keyboards, and Tina Schouw and Veronica Makhalamele on backing vocals. The album was picked up by Chris Ghelakis at  CSR records in Johannesburg  where further tracking was done with Dan Heymann of Bright Blue contributing piano and Johnny Clegg playing guitar on Charly go Crazy. The album was released in 1992, achieving two top tens with Perfect Day and Love Kills, and winning the SA industry Rock Album of the Year.  

After picking up interest from a German label, Tin Can Discs, further songs were tracked in Cape Town with Murray Anderson for at the  German release, resulting in several new songs for the German edition. 

Recently I re-visited all these songs with a view to a consolidated release via Mountain Records. Working over several months, subtle additions of instrumentation were added to the original tracks along with careful re-mastering. 

The result is "Love Kills: The Collection". It features a wide scope of songwriting, featuring  diverse influences from Elvis Costello to Steely Dan to Prince, with a diverse and eclectic instrumentation.