Oliwa: “Panamerica”.

07 Feb 2012 — Henning Lahmann

Thick and heavy synth meanderings by Buenos Aires resident Sebastian Oliwa, who employs mainly analog synthesizers and at times sampled classical instruments to create immersive and captivating soundscapes that mostly function without any kind of added percussion, simply layer over layer of rich synth pads as best exemplified in "Panamerica", a Vangelis-informed late night meditation that could indeed score your next ride all across the continent. Panamerica is out now via Växjö, Sweden-based cassette imprint Zeon Light Tapes. Oliwa - Panamerica Read more → Thick and heavy synth meanderings by Buenos Aires resident Sebastian Oliwa, who employs mainly analog synthesizers and at times sampled classical instruments to create immersive and captivating soundscapes that mostly function without any kind of added percussion, simply layer over layer of rich synth pads as best exemplified in "Panamerica", a Vangelis-informed late night meditation that could indeed score your next ride all across the continent. Panamerica is out now via Växjö, Sweden-based cassette imprint Zeon Light Tapes. Oliwa - Panamerica

Persona La Ave: Music Takes Me Higher EP.

07 Feb 2012 — Tonje Thilesen

It is hard to think that Knoxwille's Persona La Ave (aka Dylan Dawkins) will ever disappoint us with his creations, and the slick production on the deliciously fresh 80's funk EP MUSIC TAKES ME HIGHER is just another example of his fine work. It hasn't been more than a month ago since he dropped another bunch of glitchy, romantic jams on Soundcloud, so I guess the guy's been keeping himself busy these days. Stream the EP below. Read more → It is hard to think that Knoxwille's Persona La Ave (aka Dylan Dawkins) will ever disappoint us with his creations, and the slick production on the deliciously fresh 80's funk EP MUSIC TAKES ME HIGHER is just another example of his fine work. It hasn't been more than a month ago since he dropped another bunch of glitchy, romantic jams on Soundcloud, so I guess the guy's been keeping himself busy these days. Stream the EP below.

New Mixes: BlackBlackGold & Opium Hum.

07 Feb 2012 — Henning Lahmann

If you were having a bright and shiny day until now we have something to change that immediately, cause seriously, why should you? Two pitch black and gloomy as hell new mixes by Berlin's most twisted fellas, our boys BlackBlackGold of Gucci Goth and Opium Hum, the latter having been responsible for last Friday's ≠ (not equal) showcase at Berghain, probably the most amazing thing we've attended all week during CTM. While Opium Hum's mix was intended as a preview for ≠ (not equal), which means that you've missed the glory (we're already very much looking forward to the third installment, we'll keep you updated), sorry for that - you should listen to it anyway, really - BlackBlackGold's latest outburst "The Red Crown", decidedly more upbeat and freaked out than the above, may serve as an appetizer for this Saturday's PURGE III featuring Hecq and Goner at Raum Berlin in Neukölln, something you shouldn't miss if you're in town. But for now, take a listen to both terrific mixes. Read more → If you were having a bright and shiny day until now we have something to change that immediately, cause seriously, why should you? Two pitch black and gloomy as hell new mixes by Berlin's most twisted fellas, our boys BlackBlackGold of Gucci Goth and Opium Hum, the latter having been responsible for last Friday's ≠ (not equal) showcase at Berghain, probably the most amazing thing we've attended all week during CTM. While Opium Hum's mix was intended as a preview for ≠ (not equal), which means that you've missed the glory (we're already very much looking forward to the third installment, we'll keep you updated), sorry for that - you should listen to it anyway, really - BlackBlackGold's latest outburst "The Red Crown", decidedly more upbeat and freaked out than the above, may serve as an appetizer for this Saturday's PURGE III featuring Hecq and Goner at Raum Berlin in Neukölln, something you shouldn't miss if you're in town. But for now, take a listen to both terrific mixes.

Food Pyramid: “Oh Mercy”.

07 Feb 2012 — Henning Lahmann

After three tapes on Moon Glyph between the fall of 2010 and April of last year, appropriately entitled I, II, and III, psych outfit Food Pyramids returns with its debut LP on the stellar Minneapolis, Minnesota imprint. The first track to be unveiled from Mango Sunrise, the seven-minute jam "Oh Mercy", indicates a massive leap forward for the trio, putting their dominant kraut and kosmische influences aside (without abandoning them completely) in favor of some delicious Chicago House grooves complete with classic vocalization and some absolutely intriguing sax incursions. A killer dance track all along. Mango Sunrise is out March 6 via Moon Glyph. Read more → After three tapes on Moon Glyph between the fall of 2010 and April of last year, appropriately entitled I, II, and III, psych outfit Food Pyramids returns with its debut LP on the stellar Minneapolis, Minnesota imprint. The first track to be unveiled from Mango Sunrise, the seven-minute jam "Oh Mercy", indicates a massive leap forward for the trio, putting their dominant kraut and kosmische influences aside (without abandoning them completely) in favor of some delicious Chicago House grooves complete with classic vocalization and some absolutely intriguing sax incursions. A killer dance track all along. Mango Sunrise is out March 6 via Moon Glyph.

Julie Byrne: “Young Wife”.

07 Feb 2012 — Henning Lahmann

Rather unusual sounds coming from our beloved Solid Melts imprint this time, some delicately calm folk transmissions by Chicago artist Julie Byrne. The intimate, fragile song "Young Wife", taken from the artist's forthcoming cassette You Would Love It Here, beautifully reconfirms that all it needs is a velvet voice and a gently plucked acoustic guitar to leave us awestruck and happy. You Would Love It Here is out February 17, pre-order now here. Edition of 50. Read more → Rather unusual sounds coming from our beloved Solid Melts imprint this time, some delicately calm folk transmissions by Chicago artist Julie Byrne. The intimate, fragile song "Young Wife", taken from the artist's forthcoming cassette You Would Love It Here, beautifully reconfirms that all it needs is a velvet voice and a gently plucked acoustic guitar to leave us awestruck and happy. You Would Love It Here is out February 17, pre-order now here. Edition of 50.

Starving Weirdos: “Periods”.

07 Feb 2012 — Henning Lahmann

Under his Ensemble Economique guise, Brian Pyle has constantly managed to get us madly excited, as readers of this publication will be aware of. But while the man kept himself busy as of late, steadily unleashing new EE jams and musings, he somehow also found some spare time to record a new full-length with his main project Starving Weirdos, the long-standing avant-psych venture Pyle has been pursuing together with Merrick Mckinlay. The result, named Land Lines, is a truly brilliant effort, consisting of seven tracks that abundantly spread across almost 60 minutes, creating an open space of conception that enables the two musicians to indulge in some of the most intriguing sonic experimentations and improvisations we've heard in a while. Featuring a host of different collaborators, the musicians allow themselves to get lost in expansive and indeed massive soundscapes that convey a delightfully cinematic feel, not unlike Pyle's latest solo efforts, something that is best illustrated by the stunning seven-minute monster of a track, "Periods", only today blessed with an aptly entrancing and mysterious video by PiK. Land Lines is out now via Amish Records. Highly recommended. Starving Weirdos - Periods Read more → Under his Ensemble Economique guise, Brian Pyle has constantly managed to get us madly excited, as readers of this publication will be aware of. But while the man kept himself busy as of late, steadily unleashing new EE jams and musings, he somehow also found some spare time to record a new full-length with his main project Starving Weirdos, the long-standing avant-psych venture Pyle has been pursuing together with Merrick Mckinlay. The result, named Land Lines, is a truly brilliant effort, consisting of seven tracks that abundantly spread across almost 60 minutes, creating an open space of conception that enables the two musicians to indulge in some of the most intriguing sonic experimentations and improvisations we've heard in a while. Featuring a host of different collaborators, the musicians allow themselves to get lost in expansive and indeed massive soundscapes that convey a delightfully cinematic feel, not unlike Pyle's latest solo efforts, something that is best illustrated by the stunning seven-minute monster of a track, "Periods", only today blessed with an aptly entrancing and mysterious video by PiK. Land Lines is out now via Amish Records. Highly recommended. Starving Weirdos - Periods

Ryan Power: “I Don’t Want to Die”.

06 Feb 2012 — Henning Lahmann

This one dropped into my inbox last week and hit me completely unexpected, not least as the last thing I heard from our favorite Vermont enterprise (no offense) NNA Tapes was the listed creepiness of Nate Young's Stay Asleep. On top of that, the above album cover does not give you slightest hint of what will happen to your consciousness once you've hit the play button: New Hampshire native Ryan Power makes simple yet soulful, achingly honest and unashamedly beautiful avant pop that blissfully lies somewhere left of the field where you didn't even start looking in the first place. Which makes him all the more special. I Don't Want to Die is out April 3 via NNA Tapes. Listen to the breathtaking title track below (which is, according to TMT, not even the album's best track, something we unfortunately can neither confirm nor deny at this point). Ryan Power - I Don't Want to Die Read more → This one dropped into my inbox last week and hit me completely unexpected, not least as the last thing I heard from our favorite Vermont enterprise (no offense) NNA Tapes was the listed creepiness of Nate Young's Stay Asleep. On top of that, the above album cover does not give you slightest hint of what will happen to your consciousness once you've hit the play button: New Hampshire native Ryan Power makes simple yet soulful, achingly honest and unashamedly beautiful avant pop that blissfully lies somewhere left of the field where you didn't even start looking in the first place. Which makes him all the more special. I Don't Want to Die is out April 3 via NNA Tapes. Listen to the breathtaking title track below (which is, according to TMT, not even the album's best track, something we unfortunately can neither confirm nor deny at this point). Ryan Power - I Don't Want to Die