5 Years of NFOP

Come celebrate with us: Urban Spree, May 24, 4pm

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How To Dress Well: “Ocean Floor For Everything”.

23 May 2012 — Henning Lahmann
Before we end this sticky day, which has been the hottest day of the year so far, to find some well-deserved if restless sleep, we should mention that, you might have read it somewhere else, this has happened earlier: Our dear friend Tom Krell aka How To Dress Well, subject of the dreams that haunt us in Berlin's stickiest summer nights and responsible for our favorite record of 2010, has unveiled the marvelous "Ocean Floor For Everything", the first track off his sophomore full-length Total Loss, due sometime this fall via Acéphale. So, while we ourselves have a date with Morpheus now, whatever it is that you're up to at this very moment in time, just do yourself a favor and listen to this beautiful, beautiful song below. Photo by Jesse Lirola. Read more → Before we end this sticky day, which has been the hottest day of the year so far, to find some well-deserved if restless sleep, we should mention that, you might have read it somewhere else, this has happened earlier: Our dear friend Tom Krell aka How To Dress Well, subject of the dreams that haunt us in Berlin's stickiest summer nights and responsible for our favorite record of 2010, has unveiled the marvelous "Ocean Floor For Everything", the first track off his sophomore full-length Total Loss, due sometime this fall via Acéphale. So, while we ourselves have a date with Morpheus now, whatever it is that you're up to at this very moment in time, just do yourself a favor and listen to this beautiful, beautiful song below. Photo by Jesse Lirola.

AGOR: “Train”.

23 May 2012 — Henning Lahmann
AGOR is the solo project of Blue Hawaii's Alex Cowan. His AGOR EP was recorded in Berlin last spring, and when you're in this city, right, you should come up with music that fits the place, and as demonstrated with "Train", Cowan learnt his lesson in minimal techno-inspired electronics, with very satisfyingly results. The whole piece, inspired by "the city’s iconic landmarks, walking Tempelhof airport at sunset and visiting the infamous Beelitz sanatorium and Spreepark", is available now via Arbutus. Read more → AGOR is the solo project of Blue Hawaii's Alex Cowan. His AGOR EP was recorded in Berlin last spring, and when you're in this city, right, you should come up with music that fits the place, and as demonstrated with "Train", Cowan learnt his lesson in minimal techno-inspired electronics, with very satisfyingly results. The whole piece, inspired by "the city’s iconic landmarks, walking Tempelhof airport at sunset and visiting the infamous Beelitz sanatorium and Spreepark", is available now via Arbutus.

Temples: “II”.

22 May 2012 — Henning Lahmann
Temples, aka one of the numerous projects of Portland's Avalon Kalin, is about to drop its debut Temples I-VII, a remarkable work of sweeping, hypnotic house tracks that will move your body just as they'll ease your mind, built around glistening rhythms and crystalline, shimmering textures of chimes and synth pads, faithful, classicist dance music just as it was meant to be. Take a listen to the track "II" below. You may also watch the video for "III" over at TMT now. Temples I-VII is out May 22 via Ecstasy Records. Read more → Temples, aka one of the numerous projects of Portland's Avalon Kalin, is about to drop its debut Temples I-VII, a remarkable work of sweeping, hypnotic house tracks that will move your body just as they'll ease your mind, built around glistening rhythms and crystalline, shimmering textures of chimes and synth pads, faithful, classicist dance music just as it was meant to be. Take a listen to the track "II" below. You may also watch the video for "III" over at TMT now. Temples I-VII is out May 22 via Ecstasy Records.

Baby Birds Don’t Drink Milk: “Little George”.

22 May 2012 — Henning Lahmann
It's been a while, isn't that how you're supposed to start this kind of write-up, it's been a while since we last heard from this or this band, and I mean indeed, hell it's been a while since we last heard anything from our beloved ex-Kansas outfit Baby Birds Don't Drink Milk, more than a year to be precise, and even longer since we were able to share any proper album-related news. But now they're back with a three-track, half-hour cassette named Soda, which is great news by itself, but it's even greater that they still kick ass, like on this totally unexpected seven minute killer of a track, opener "Little George" - a noisy, bulky piece of drones and subtly shimmering guitars, layer built upon layer, seemingly unorganized and formless yet following a hidden path to purest sonic bliss. Soda is out on Lillerne. Get it here. Read more → It's been a while, isn't that how you're supposed to start this kind of write-up, it's been a while since we last heard from this or this band, and I mean indeed, hell it's been a while since we last heard anything from our beloved ex-Kansas outfit Baby Birds Don't Drink Milk, more than a year to be precise, and even longer since we were able to share any proper album-related news. But now they're back with a three-track, half-hour cassette named Soda, which is great news by itself, but it's even greater that they still kick ass, like on this totally unexpected seven minute killer of a track, opener "Little George" - a noisy, bulky piece of drones and subtly shimmering guitars, layer built upon layer, seemingly unorganized and formless yet following a hidden path to purest sonic bliss. Soda is out on Lillerne. Get it here.

Lee Noble / Ensemble Economique Split LP.

22 May 2012 — Henning Lahmann
If you happen to read this site once in a while (do you?), you might be aware that both Lee Noble and Brian Pyle aka Ensemble Economique are artists whose work we rather admire, so the news of a split 12 inch between the two got us quite excited. Motion Forever, as the piece of art will be called, is out June 20 on wonderful French imprint Hands In The Dark. Below, you may take a listen to the first two cuts of the LP, courtesy of Ad Hoc. First, Lee Noble's "Woman in the Dunes", a stark and mildly depressing musing on Hiroshi Teshigahara's 1964 movie, characteristic and very distinct, i.e. incredible: Second, listen to the twelve minutes of synth-induced despair that are Ensemble Economique's "Your Hands, Your Lips, Your EYES, Your Hips", another thoroughly unsettling masterpiece that gently reminds us that the world is a dark and lonely place. Read more → If you happen to read this site once in a while (do you?), you might be aware that both Lee Noble and Brian Pyle aka Ensemble Economique are artists whose work we rather admire, so the news of a split 12 inch between the two got us quite excited. Motion Forever, as the piece of art will be called, is out June 20 on wonderful French imprint Hands In The Dark. Below, you may take a listen to the first two cuts of the LP, courtesy of Ad Hoc. First, Lee Noble's "Woman in the Dunes", a stark and mildly depressing musing on Hiroshi Teshigahara's 1964 movie, characteristic and very distinct, i.e. incredible: Second, listen to the twelve minutes of synth-induced despair that are Ensemble Economique's "Your Hands, Your Lips, Your EYES, Your Hips", another thoroughly unsettling masterpiece that gently reminds us that the world is a dark and lonely place.

Video: Alice Cohen - “Cascading Keys”.

21 May 2012 — Henning Lahmann
Earlier this month, when we posted the video for "Jungle of Vines" off Alice Cohen's Sixteen Tambourines cassette release Wild Vines and Tenement Shrines, she told us that another full-length was already on its way, named Pink Keys, to be put out by a cherished and wildly acclaimed Brooklyn label that had pretty much defined the sound of 2010 but that had since, we thought, vanished for good. Anyway, more details on said release were unveiled earlier today via The Quietus, which premiered the video for album opener "Cascading Keys", a marvelous affair that much to our surprise (but what do we know, see above) was not directed by Cohen herself but by New York City-based Micki Pellerano. Watch it below. Pink Keys will be out June 12 via Olde English Spelling Bee (!). Pre-order now over here. Read more → Earlier this month, when we posted the video for "Jungle of Vines" off Alice Cohen's Sixteen Tambourines cassette release Wild Vines and Tenement Shrines, she told us that another full-length was already on its way, named Pink Keys, to be put out by a cherished and wildly acclaimed Brooklyn label that had pretty much defined the sound of 2010 but that had since, we thought, vanished for good. Anyway, more details on said release were unveiled earlier today via The Quietus, which premiered the video for album opener "Cascading Keys", a marvelous affair that much to our surprise (but what do we know, see above) was not directed by Cohen herself but by New York City-based Micki Pellerano. Watch it below. Pink Keys will be out June 12 via Olde English Spelling Bee (!). Pre-order now over here.

Avalon Emerson: “Church of SoMa”.

21 May 2012 — Henning Lahmann
No need to get off the dancefloor, our favorite San Francisco club girl has done it again. Avalon Emerson is back (not that she was ever gone in the first place) with another stupendous banger, almost seven minutes of, oh well, let the girl speak for herself once again (because she also writes the most appropriately descriptive mails): "a dub-edged rhythm conversation between of-the-moment house revivalism and long-forgotten tribal voices". Yes indeed. Read more → No need to get off the dancefloor, our favorite San Francisco club girl has done it again. Avalon Emerson is back (not that she was ever gone in the first place) with another stupendous banger, almost seven minutes of, oh well, let the girl speak for herself once again (because she also writes the most appropriately descriptive mails): "a dub-edged rhythm conversation between of-the-moment house revivalism and long-forgotten tribal voices". Yes indeed.

Video: Pillars and Tongues - “(Laid) Palms to Tell”.

21 May 2012 — Henning Lahmann
Around this time last year, Chicago's Pillars and Tongues enchanted us with their superb album The Pass and Crossings on Empty Cellar Records, a stunning blend of slow-burning neo folk and melancholic, blue-eyed and cloud-gazing yet earthbound psychedelia. Tomorrow, the band will head off on an extensive late spring/early summer tour through the States, starting in their hometown's The Hideout (go here for the complete list of dates). To mark the occasion, Pillars and Tongues have just released a free digital single, a re-recorded and alternate version of "(Laid) Palms to Tell", which had already been a standout on The Pass and Crossings and that will be featured on a limited tour release. Below, you may watch the song's gorgeously colorful and aptly arcane video, made by Alex Babbitt. The free digital single "(Laid) Palms to Tell" is available over at bandcamp alongside two other tracks. Read more → Around this time last year, Chicago's Pillars and Tongues enchanted us with their superb album The Pass and Crossings on Empty Cellar Records, a stunning blend of slow-burning neo folk and melancholic, blue-eyed and cloud-gazing yet earthbound psychedelia. Tomorrow, the band will head off on an extensive late spring/early summer tour through the States, starting in their hometown's The Hideout (go here for the complete list of dates). To mark the occasion, Pillars and Tongues have just released a free digital single, a re-recorded and alternate version of "(Laid) Palms to Tell", which had already been a standout on The Pass and Crossings and that will be featured on a limited tour release. Below, you may watch the song's gorgeously colorful and aptly arcane video, made by Alex Babbitt. The free digital single "(Laid) Palms to Tell" is available over at bandcamp alongside two other tracks.
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