5 Years of NFOP

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Anthony Drawn: “Ghost In The Shell”.

20 Nov 2011 — Henning Lahmann
It's not that Germany had any significant share in the current evolution of contemporary bass music, but as always, you will find very worthwhile exceptions if you're willing to look hard enough. Now Anton Pfurtscheller, resident of the culturally rather minuscule city of Mainz, capital of Rhineland-Palatinate (Frankfurt might be a little too close I guess), is not really pushing boundaries here, too, but his recent work under the moniker Anthony Drawn nonetheless shows that he must have been an eager and alert student of General Burialism - his arrangements are tight and the vocal manipulations on "How Long Can I Wait For You" are precise and overall quite intriguing. The title track of his latest EP Ghost In The Shell features vocalisation by London-based rapper Teknical Development, a combination that works out surprisingly well. Ghost In The Shell has just been released via Sichtexot. The whole EP, which also features a bunch of remixes (with mixed results, but at least the one by St. Petersburg producer Nocow is pretty dope) is up for streaming over here and can be downloaded for free via the label's website. Anthony Drawn - Ghost In The Shell (feat. Teknical Development) Anthony Drawn - How Long Can I Wait For You Read more → It's not that Germany had any significant share in the current evolution of contemporary bass music, but as always, you will find very worthwhile exceptions if you're willing to look hard enough. Now Anton Pfurtscheller, resident of the culturally rather minuscule city of Mainz, capital of Rhineland-Palatinate (Frankfurt might be a little too close I guess), is not really pushing boundaries here, too, but his recent work under the moniker Anthony Drawn nonetheless shows that he must have been an eager and alert student of General Burialism - his arrangements are tight and the vocal manipulations on "How Long Can I Wait For You" are precise and overall quite intriguing. The title track of his latest EP Ghost In The Shell features vocalisation by London-based rapper Teknical Development, a combination that works out surprisingly well. Ghost In The Shell has just been released via Sichtexot. The whole EP, which also features a bunch of remixes (with mixed results, but at least the one by St. Petersburg producer Nocow is pretty dope) is up for streaming over here and can be downloaded for free via the label's website. Anthony Drawn - Ghost In The Shell (feat. Teknical Development) Anthony Drawn - How Long Can I Wait For You

Happy Hands Club - “Lost At Sea”.

19 Nov 2011 — Tonje Thilesen
We've all been continuously discussing how Sweden is likely to have the strongest pop scene around, and before we even know it there's a new sound emerging from one of its beautiful cities, ready to embrace us Swedish pop fanatics. Gothenburg's Happy Hands Club has exactly that fresh and catchy sound that is much likely to be the next Swedish hype, with their sweet-scented pop melodies and a sound that seems to be something of a mixture between Wu Lyf, Craft Spells and, why not, a tiny touch of Gardens & Villa. Grab a copy of their brand new self-titled EP on 12 inch vinyl here. Happy Hands Club - Lost At Sea Previously: Happy Hands Club - I'm Not An Antidote Read more → We've all been continuously discussing how Sweden is likely to have the strongest pop scene around, and before we even know it there's a new sound emerging from one of its beautiful cities, ready to embrace us Swedish pop fanatics. Gothenburg's Happy Hands Club has exactly that fresh and catchy sound that is much likely to be the next Swedish hype, with their sweet-scented pop melodies and a sound that seems to be something of a mixture between Wu Lyf, Craft Spells and, why not, a tiny touch of Gardens & Villa. Grab a copy of their brand new self-titled EP on 12 inch vinyl here. Happy Hands Club - Lost At Sea Previously: Happy Hands Club - I'm Not An Antidote

Video: Nova Scotian Arms - “Navigation (Devotional)”.

17 Nov 2011 — Henning Lahmann
LaGrange, Georgia's Rachel and Grant Evans do not only run a pretty exciting tape label and have joined their creative forces to form the drone ambient project Quiet Evenings that has had a couple of very compelling releases (including this one) - above all the two are probably the most amiable married couple in the current North American underground. Now to celebrate a recent anniversary, Rachel and Grand have recorded a split LP under their respective solo endeavors Motion Sickness Of Time Travel (which is, as some will now, among some of our favorite stuff to have been put out this year) and Nova Scotian Arms, and the result is just another delicate and intriguing effort of expansive psych- and noise-informed soundscapes. Below, watch the amazing 17-minute visualization for the Nova Scotian Arms track "Navigation (Devotional)", made last week by Camilla Padgitt-Coles (of Future Shuttle). Crystal Anniversary is out now on Aguirre Records Read more → LaGrange, Georgia's Rachel and Grant Evans do not only run a pretty exciting tape label and have joined their creative forces to form the drone ambient project Quiet Evenings that has had a couple of very compelling releases (including this one) - above all the two are probably the most amiable married couple in the current North American underground. Now to celebrate a recent anniversary, Rachel and Grand have recorded a split LP under their respective solo endeavors Motion Sickness Of Time Travel (which is, as some will now, among some of our favorite stuff to have been put out this year) and Nova Scotian Arms, and the result is just another delicate and intriguing effort of expansive psych- and noise-informed soundscapes. Below, watch the amazing 17-minute visualization for the Nova Scotian Arms track "Navigation (Devotional)", made last week by Camilla Padgitt-Coles (of Future Shuttle). Crystal Anniversary is out now on Aguirre Records

Emil & Friends: “Downed Economy (Hotel Mexico Remix)”.

17 Nov 2011 — Henning Lahmann
The Emil & Friends tune "Downed Economy" is off last year's EP of the same name and has thus been flowing around for a good while now already, but as far as I can see this amazing Hotel Mexico remix is something brand new. So I don't know the particular occasion for this re-work, but in any case our favorite Tokyo-based lo-fi dance quintet has turned the track into a wonderfully lush, laid-back AM pop slow-burner, and I guess that alone should be reason enough. Emil & Friends - Downed Economy (Hotel Mexico Remix) Read more → The Emil & Friends tune "Downed Economy" is off last year's EP of the same name and has thus been flowing around for a good while now already, but as far as I can see this amazing Hotel Mexico remix is something brand new. So I don't know the particular occasion for this re-work, but in any case our favorite Tokyo-based lo-fi dance quintet has turned the track into a wonderfully lush, laid-back AM pop slow-burner, and I guess that alone should be reason enough. Emil & Friends - Downed Economy (Hotel Mexico Remix)

Bad Passion: “Liquid Fire”.

16 Nov 2011 — Tonje Thilesen
Pretty much blown away by the boy and girl duo Bad Passion and their The XX esque, ice cold electronic R&B, recorded when they both were based in Toronto, Canada. Alt, now based in London, makes dark electronic sounds under the up-and-coming moniker Digits, which truly shows in a couple of the tracks from their bedroom recorded EP Doin' It Slow. The EP even includes a dark and (literally) stripped-down cover of Beach House's "Gila", as well as a few lyrics about stealing cars for the sheer thrill of it, as well as how they love to "get results". Fair enough. Bad Passion - Liquid Fire Lesely, Bad Passion's other half, plays with the 'electrogaze' duo Powers, an interesting, upbeat contrast to her project with Alt, but still truly worth a listen. Oh, and all of this is free. Powers - Last Year Digits - Because It's Wrong
Read more →
Pretty much blown away by the boy and girl duo Bad Passion and their The XX esque, ice cold electronic R&B, recorded when they both were based in Toronto, Canada. Alt, now based in London, makes dark electronic sounds under the up-and-coming moniker Digits, which truly shows in a couple of the tracks from their bedroom recorded EP Doin' It Slow. The EP even includes a dark and (literally) stripped-down cover of Beach House's "Gila", as well as a few lyrics about stealing cars for the sheer thrill of it, as well as how they love to "get results". Fair enough. Bad Passion - Liquid Fire Lesely, Bad Passion's other half, plays with the 'electrogaze' duo Powers, an interesting, upbeat contrast to her project with Alt, but still truly worth a listen. Oh, and all of this is free. Powers - Last Year Digits - Because It's Wrong

Video: William Cody Watson - “You’ve Never Seen The Ocean?”.

15 Nov 2011 — Henning Lahmann
We've already indulged ourselves in the majestic beauty of William Cody Watson's nocturnal ambient soundscapes of his EP Night Music For Driving recently, but as we've rarely come across a piece of music that in all its wide screen lavishness so much demanded some appropriately ethereal visualization, we're just glad to learn that Clearing has stepped up to create this equally marvelous video. If you haven't downloaded Night Music For Driving yet, do it right now over here. William Cody Watson - You've Never Seen The Ocean? Previously: William Cody Watson - No Heaven For Us Read more → We've already indulged ourselves in the majestic beauty of William Cody Watson's nocturnal ambient soundscapes of his EP Night Music For Driving recently, but as we've rarely come across a piece of music that in all its wide screen lavishness so much demanded some appropriately ethereal visualization, we're just glad to learn that Clearing has stepped up to create this equally marvelous video. If you haven't downloaded Night Music For Driving yet, do it right now over here. William Cody Watson - You've Never Seen The Ocean? Previously: William Cody Watson - No Heaven For Us

Sobrenadar: “Finales”.

14 Nov 2011 — Henning Lahmann
Found myself repeatedly enchanted and indeed quite impressed by Buenos Aires-based chanteuse Paula Garcia aka Sobrenadar whose blissful, blurry synth-driven dream pop softly lands somewhere close to Sleep ∞ Over, Boy Friend and the likes, which can't be a bad thing now that the days have already gotten terribly short again. Sobrenadar's wonderful new EP Physeos is out today on Absent Fever. Get it here. Sobrenadar - Finales Read more → Found myself repeatedly enchanted and indeed quite impressed by Buenos Aires-based chanteuse Paula Garcia aka Sobrenadar whose blissful, blurry synth-driven dream pop softly lands somewhere close to Sleep ∞ Over, Boy Friend and the likes, which can't be a bad thing now that the days have already gotten terribly short again. Sobrenadar's wonderful new EP Physeos is out today on Absent Fever. Get it here. Sobrenadar - Finales

HAPPY TRENDY: “January 6”.

14 Nov 2011 — Tonje Thilesen

It feels like it's been ages since we last heard of Canada's HAPPY TRENDY and his stripped-down synth pop, but fear not, our darling Dylan Khotin-Foote is back with a brand new ear-friendly gem for us all, due to next week on Orchid Tapes. In fact, BIRP premiered the first single off the Die Young EP today, and it does indeed seem to have captured the ears of, uh, the so-called blogosphere. Together with NFOP regular Foxes in Fiction, the two of them are to be seen on December 9th here in Oslo at Sound Of Mu (RSVP here). For the remaining tour dates, see below. HAPPY TRENDY - January 6 November 30th - Porto, Portugal – Passos Manuel December 1st – Coimbra, Portugal - Oficina Municipal do Teatro December 3rd – Lisbon, Portugal – Vodafone Mexefest / Terraço Hotel Tivoli December 4th – Madrid, Spain - TBA December 5th – Lyon, France – La Triperie December 6th – Paris, France – L’espace B December 7th – Lille, France – Peek-A-Boo December 8th – Haarlem, Netherlands – Geertruida December 9th – Oslo, Norway – Sound of Mu December 10th – Berlin, Germany – Mme Claude December 11th – Leipzig, Germany - Wächterhaus December 12th – Hamburg, Germany – Astra-Stube Read more →

It feels like it's been ages since we last heard of Canada's HAPPY TRENDY and his stripped-down synth pop, but fear not, our darling Dylan Khotin-Foote is back with a brand new ear-friendly gem for us all, due to next week on Orchid Tapes. In fact, BIRP premiered the first single off the Die Young EP today, and it does indeed seem to have captured the ears of, uh, the so-called blogosphere. Together with NFOP regular Foxes in Fiction, the two of them are to be seen on December 9th here in Oslo at Sound Of Mu (RSVP here). For the remaining tour dates, see below. HAPPY TRENDY - January 6 November 30th - Porto, Portugal – Passos Manuel December 1st – Coimbra, Portugal - Oficina Municipal do Teatro December 3rd – Lisbon, Portugal – Vodafone Mexefest / Terraço Hotel Tivoli December 4th – Madrid, Spain - TBA December 5th – Lyon, France – La Triperie December 6th – Paris, France – L’espace B December 7th – Lille, France – Peek-A-Boo December 8th – Haarlem, Netherlands – Geertruida December 9th – Oslo, Norway – Sound of Mu December 10th – Berlin, Germany – Mme Claude December 11th – Leipzig, Germany - Wächterhaus December 12th – Hamburg, Germany – Astra-Stube
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