Running in the Fog: “Faaaade”.

08 Jul 2011 — Henning Lahmann
Once again I'm splendidly gone and enchanted, having lost myself in the ethereal soundscapes of San Francisco-based Amanda Harper aka Running in the Fog. Her gloomy and deliberately lo-fi chamber pop floats somewhere between Nite Jewel and earlier Grimes without ripping off any of her contemporaries' distinct styles, instead coming up with something entirely her own. In particular the influences on the marvelous track Missed the Rain reach back as far as 1991 trip-hop with its slow burning drum machine beat, the subtle synth pads and an overall restrained instrumentation, leaving the listener alone with Harper's beautiful voice that's almost entirely hidden behind a thick layer of mist. Running in the Fog's debut EP Faaaade is available for a few bucks over at bandcamp. Running in the Fog - Missed the Rain Running in the Fog - Locked Up Read more → Once again I'm splendidly gone and enchanted, having lost myself in the ethereal soundscapes of San Francisco-based Amanda Harper aka Running in the Fog. Her gloomy and deliberately lo-fi chamber pop floats somewhere between Nite Jewel and earlier Grimes without ripping off any of her contemporaries' distinct styles, instead coming up with something entirely her own. In particular the influences on the marvelous track Missed the Rain reach back as far as 1991 trip-hop with its slow burning drum machine beat, the subtle synth pads and an overall restrained instrumentation, leaving the listener alone with Harper's beautiful voice that's almost entirely hidden behind a thick layer of mist. Running in the Fog's debut EP Faaaade is available for a few bucks over at bandcamp. Running in the Fog - Missed the Rain Running in the Fog - Locked Up

Sore Eros: “Stacy”.

07 Jul 2011 — Henning Lahmann
Brooklyn label Blackburn Recordings has just dropped the latest Sore Eros 12 inch named Just Fuzz, and it's another fine and sweet-as-honey excursion into gentle experimentalism by our dearest New England psych pop weirdos. Get a first taste with the wonderfully deranged and slightly off-kilter tune Stacy below, and then get your copy here. Sore Eros - Stacy Read more → Brooklyn label Blackburn Recordings has just dropped the latest Sore Eros 12 inch named Just Fuzz, and it's another fine and sweet-as-honey excursion into gentle experimentalism by our dearest New England psych pop weirdos. Get a first taste with the wonderfully deranged and slightly off-kilter tune Stacy below, and then get your copy here. Sore Eros - Stacy

Hype Williams: Carnivals Untitled 12” Repressing.

07 Jul 2011 — Henning Lahmann
Good things will come to those who wait: Just got notified that my fourth favorite album of 2010, Hype Williams' terrific yet long sold-out debut 12 inch with London-based imprint Carnivals Records, has finally been repressed. Still think this one's by far their best (and most coherent) effort to date, so be quick and grab one of the 500 new copies right now over here. Hype Williams - B3 (Untitled) Read more → Good things will come to those who wait: Just got notified that my fourth favorite album of 2010, Hype Williams' terrific yet long sold-out debut 12 inch with London-based imprint Carnivals Records, has finally been repressed. Still think this one's by far their best (and most coherent) effort to date, so be quick and grab one of the 500 new copies right now over here. Hype Williams - B3 (Untitled)

NFOP sessions #2: Mire Kay - So You Learned.

07 Jul 2011 — Tonje Thilesen

Hailing from Stockholm and Malmø, the Swedish indie pop duo Mire Kay have something unique to them. After playing a splendid, heart-warming live set at the Huset Ved Sjøen festival last month, we at NFOP feel honored to share this exclusive live session with you all, recorded in Middelalderparken, Oslo - the home of the annual Øya festival in August. A big thanks to Solander for making this possible — don't forget to check out our live session video with them here if you haven't already.

So You Learned is taken from the duo's first EP release Fortress, which can be purchased digitally or physically on 10" via our friends over at A Tenderversion Recording. You can also snatch the album over at bandcamp for a few bucks.

Mire Kay - So You Learned

Mire Kay - Sea Monster

Read more →

Hailing from Stockholm and Malmø, the Swedish indie pop duo Mire Kay have something unique to them. After playing a splendid, heart-warming live set at the Huset Ved Sjøen festival last month, we at NFOP feel honored to share this exclusive live session with you all, recorded in Middelalderparken, Oslo - the home of the annual Øya festival in August. A big thanks to Solander for making this possible — don't forget to check out our live session video with them here if you haven't already.

So You Learned is taken from the duo's first EP release Fortress, which can be purchased digitally or physically on 10" via our friends over at A Tenderversion Recording. You can also snatch the album over at bandcamp for a few bucks.

Mire Kay - So You Learned

Mire Kay - Sea Monster

Your Body Is A Temple: “YBT VI”.

07 Jul 2011 — Henning Lahmann
Recently got sent a link to this rad video, made by the art group Your Body Is A Temple which involves recently introduced enigmatic South London producer Felicita, among others. I'm not entirely sure what this whole project is all about, so for now suffice it to state that these are some seriously awesome visuals as well as a sick and absolutely apt score/mix to go with it, and that very well works as a standalone aural pleasure as well. Your Body Is A Temple - YBT VI Read more → Recently got sent a link to this rad video, made by the art group Your Body Is A Temple which involves recently introduced enigmatic South London producer Felicita, among others. I'm not entirely sure what this whole project is all about, so for now suffice it to state that these are some seriously awesome visuals as well as a sick and absolutely apt score/mix to go with it, and that very well works as a standalone aural pleasure as well. Your Body Is A Temple - YBT VI

First Listen: Rangers/KWJAZ Lite - “Angel Island”.

07 Jul 2011 — Henning Lahmann
Probably the most pleasant surprise this year and rightly deemed "one of the best of 2011 so far" has been KWJAZ's self-titled tape that had been dropped and quickly sold out by Brunch Groupe, the new San Francisco-based cassette imprint/artist collective associated with our much adored Rangers (and also Swanox) that was started as a means to release stuff from some "underexposed Bay Area/LA friends". Even before the rare cassette gets the well-deserved vinyl re-release treatment on Not Not Fun sometime this summer, KWJAZ's mastermind Peter Berends already returns with Angel Island, yet another mind-melting trip into the realms of your outer consciousness, this time not as KWJAZ but under his (mind you) KWJAZ Lite moniker. Now what at first glance might seem as an odd eccentricity makes an awful lot of sense, not only due to a "secret ghost member who contributed to the sounds" but also artistically speaking, as KWJAZ Lite abandons most of the lush, jazzy and funky day-glo splendor of the debut in favor of no less warm yet darker and more abstract sonic excursions. Aside from Berends' heavily hypnagogic tripping on the flip side's two tracks It Is It and Word of Phase, the c40's a-side sees Rangers' Joe Knight on a serious brain journey of his own, ripping and reconstructing some of his distinctive motifs already shown on last year's Suburban Tours to come up with the 20-minute aural séance Xochimilco, a deeply staggering dive into the foggy sounds of a long-lost score for some early 80s San Francisco crime series, custom-made for extended car chasing scenes through the Northern Californian late afternoon haziness. Angel Island is due August 1. Watch this space for further info soon. Rangers - Xochimilco (Excerpt) KWJAZ Lite - It Is It (Excerpt) Read more → Probably the most pleasant surprise this year and rightly deemed "one of the best of 2011 so far" has been KWJAZ's self-titled tape that had been dropped and quickly sold out by Brunch Groupe, the new San Francisco-based cassette imprint/artist collective associated with our much adored Rangers (and also Swanox) that was started as a means to release stuff from some "underexposed Bay Area/LA friends". Even before the rare cassette gets the well-deserved vinyl re-release treatment on Not Not Fun sometime this summer, KWJAZ's mastermind Peter Berends already returns with Angel Island, yet another mind-melting trip into the realms of your outer consciousness, this time not as KWJAZ but under his (mind you) KWJAZ Lite moniker. Now what at first glance might seem as an odd eccentricity makes an awful lot of sense, not only due to a "secret ghost member who contributed to the sounds" but also artistically speaking, as KWJAZ Lite abandons most of the lush, jazzy and funky day-glo splendor of the debut in favor of no less warm yet darker and more abstract sonic excursions. Aside from Berends' heavily hypnagogic tripping on the flip side's two tracks It Is It and Word of Phase, the c40's a-side sees Rangers' Joe Knight on a serious brain journey of his own, ripping and reconstructing some of his distinctive motifs already shown on last year's Suburban Tours to come up with the 20-minute aural séance Xochimilco, a deeply staggering dive into the foggy sounds of a long-lost score for some early 80s San Francisco crime series, custom-made for extended car chasing scenes through the Northern Californian late afternoon haziness. Angel Island is due August 1. Watch this space for further info soon. Rangers - Xochimilco (Excerpt) KWJAZ Lite - It Is It (Excerpt)

:papercutz x Pleq: “Neptunian Moods”.

06 Jul 2011 — Tonje Thilesen
The eternal, ocean-like sounds of Portuguese ambient/electronic trio :papercutz shows a new side of themselves in this stargazing track with experimental artist Pleq, which was released yesterday on the 'Space themed' compilation Celestial Summer, curated by LYFSTYL & Synesthesiae Films. The compilation also features some of our own favourites, including Yojimbo Billions, Ricky Eat Acid and Teeel — so whatever you do, don't miss out this galactic electronic meltdown. Free download at Bandcamp. :papercutz & Pleq - Neptunian Moods Yojimbo Billions - Instellar Love Letter oddlogic - BLAZAR Cultural Voyage - Digital Stargate Read more → The eternal, ocean-like sounds of Portuguese ambient/electronic trio :papercutz shows a new side of themselves in this stargazing track with experimental artist Pleq, which was released yesterday on the 'Space themed' compilation Celestial Summer, curated by LYFSTYL & Synesthesiae Films. The compilation also features some of our own favourites, including Yojimbo Billions, Ricky Eat Acid and Teeel — so whatever you do, don't miss out this galactic electronic meltdown. Free download at Bandcamp. :papercutz & Pleq - Neptunian Moods Yojimbo Billions - Instellar Love Letter oddlogic - BLAZAR Cultural Voyage - Digital Stargate

NFOP Recommends: Indie Pop Days 2011.

06 Jul 2011 — Henning Lahmann
Now that summer is back after its brief hiatus last weekend, we're absolutely delighted to finally announce and recommend Berlin's lushest and brightest days in the sunny season that's luckily still ahead of us for the most part: From August 26 to 28, the area around the old Wasserturm in Kreuzberg is once again inviting every twee-infused girl or boy in Berlin for the second installment of the fabulous Indie Pop Days. To live up to last year's success with performances by Still Corners or Allo Darlin', among quite a handful of other adherents of contemporary anorak glory, the impeccable girls and boys of Let's Kiss and Make Up have spent the last months restlessly tracking down the crème de la crème of the indie pop class of 2011. So here it is, the full list of artists that will ultimately save your summer: The Wave Pictures Aberdeen Wake the President Darren Henlon Woodpigeon White Wishes Clay Hips Television Keeps Us Apart Kristallin The Electric Pop Group Young Wrists Sorry Gilberto Our Blanket Skies Der Elegante Rest Nils Folke Valdemar Amida Watch this space for news and further infos, and head over here right now to get your ticket. Last, a few examples of what's gonna wait for you: White Wishes - Not Today White Wishes - Come and Say Hello Young Wrists - I Want You to Disappear Our Blanket Skies - I Thank You Read more → Now that summer is back after its brief hiatus last weekend, we're absolutely delighted to finally announce and recommend Berlin's lushest and brightest days in the sunny season that's luckily still ahead of us for the most part: From August 26 to 28, the area around the old Wasserturm in Kreuzberg is once again inviting every twee-infused girl or boy in Berlin for the second installment of the fabulous Indie Pop Days. To live up to last year's success with performances by Still Corners or Allo Darlin', among quite a handful of other adherents of contemporary anorak glory, the impeccable girls and boys of Let's Kiss and Make Up have spent the last months restlessly tracking down the crème de la crème of the indie pop class of 2011. So here it is, the full list of artists that will ultimately save your summer: The Wave Pictures Aberdeen Wake the President Darren Henlon Woodpigeon White Wishes Clay Hips Television Keeps Us Apart Kristallin The Electric Pop Group Young Wrists Sorry Gilberto Our Blanket Skies Der Elegante Rest Nils Folke Valdemar Amida Watch this space for news and further infos, and head over here right now to get your ticket. Last, a few examples of what's gonna wait for you: White Wishes - Not Today White Wishes - Come and Say Hello Young Wrists - I Want You to Disappear Our Blanket Skies - I Thank You