Weekly Retrospect: 29/12

20 Jul 2012 — NFOP

The internet is a restless thing. Every single day of the year, it unleashes a vast amount of new music, and worst of all, a lot of this music is really exciting. Still crucially lacking interns (and for numerous other reasons, among them actually living an offline life), for us it sometimes feels hard to stay on top of things; we're obviously not even capable of writing about all the tracks we come across each week that fill us with true enthusiasm. That is not a problem in itself, as we do not aspire to cover the whole range of the latest in underground pop. However, we've observed a growing gap between the stuff we manage write about and all the new music we're also thrilled about and listen to the rest of our precious time, stuff that usually only (and perhaps rather surprisingly) surfaces when we compile our year-end lists. Hence this new weekly feature, which from now on will intend to summarize the past days' internet buzz that we've been into heavily, in the words of our esteemed friends from the world of internet music publishing.“'The Sound' kicks off with a looped sample of a quote from the Maharishi about transcendental meditation, before a breathless, love-dazed Ms. Juur launches into one of the warmer/brighter and more thoroughly intoxicating dance tracks we’ve heard from her thus far." - Chris Cantalini, Gorilla vs. Bear Will Happiness Find Me? is out September 4 via Not Not Fun."The title track from his new album Held [reveals] a song-structure and body impetus far in advance of his closest competitors, and manages to sound like this generation’s Belfast." - Charlie Robin Jones, Dummy Held is out August 27 via Tri Angle."Tom Krell’s wistful warble is clear and out front on 'Cold Nites', staring you dead-on over a skittering beat that’s broken up with cascades of glitter and a digital caw/yawn that recalls, vaguely, the recurring baby squeal in Aaliyah’s 'Are U That Somebody'. - Naomi Zeichner, Fader Total Loss is out September 17/18 via Acéphale (North America) and Weird World/Domino (row)."'Changes' is a belter of a pop song with a massive, unashamed hook: Things won’t change until we do / Things won’t change until we do. It’s the simplest of truths, the most obvious of cliches and that’s why it sticks, why it hits, and what makes it pop perfection." - Ruth Saxelby, Dummy The Changes EP is out on Friends Of Friends."It is opener ‘Ulysses’ that is the real standout here; an impossibly addictive track that pits Space Odyssee synths against triplet melodies and, at 2:16, an ENORMOUS bassy payoff." - Josh Hall, The Line Of Best Fit Aeolian is out July 30 via Civil Music."Hailing from Norway, a nation who’s brand of alt-pop music is oft overshadowed by the ever thriving black metal scene – Highasakite deliver a fresh and organic approach to their work and this first taster of their Indian Summer EP" - Richard Thane, The Line Of Best Fit Indian Summer EP is out August 20th via Riot Factory.

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The internet is a restless thing. Every single day of the year, it unleashes a vast amount of new music, and worst of all, a lot of this music is really exciting. Still crucially lacking interns (and for numerous other reasons, among them actually living an offline life), for us it sometimes feels hard to stay on top of things; we're obviously not even capable of writing about all the tracks we come across each week that fill us with true enthusiasm. That is not a problem in itself, as we do not aspire to cover the whole range of the latest in underground pop. However, we've observed a growing gap between the stuff we manage write about and all the new music we're also thrilled about and listen to the rest of our precious time, stuff that usually only (and perhaps rather surprisingly) surfaces when we compile our year-end lists. Hence this new weekly feature, which from now on will intend to summarize the past days' internet buzz that we've been into heavily, in the words of our esteemed friends from the world of internet music publishing.“'The Sound' kicks off with a looped sample of a quote from the Maharishi about transcendental meditation, before a breathless, love-dazed Ms. Juur launches into one of the warmer/brighter and more thoroughly intoxicating dance tracks we’ve heard from her thus far." - Chris Cantalini, Gorilla vs. Bear Will Happiness Find Me? is out September 4 via Not Not Fun."The title track from his new album Held [reveals] a song-structure and body impetus far in advance of his closest competitors, and manages to sound like this generation’s Belfast." - Charlie Robin Jones, Dummy Held is out August 27 via Tri Angle."Tom Krell’s wistful warble is clear and out front on 'Cold Nites', staring you dead-on over a skittering beat that’s broken up with cascades of glitter and a digital caw/yawn that recalls, vaguely, the recurring baby squeal in Aaliyah’s 'Are U That Somebody'. - Naomi Zeichner, Fader Total Loss is out September 17/18 via Acéphale (North America) and Weird World/Domino (row)."'Changes' is a belter of a pop song with a massive, unashamed hook: Things won’t change until we do / Things won’t change until we do. It’s the simplest of truths, the most obvious of cliches and that’s why it sticks, why it hits, and what makes it pop perfection." - Ruth Saxelby, Dummy The Changes EP is out on Friends Of Friends."It is opener ‘Ulysses’ that is the real standout here; an impossibly addictive track that pits Space Odyssee synths against triplet melodies and, at 2:16, an ENORMOUS bassy payoff." - Josh Hall, The Line Of Best Fit Aeolian is out July 30 via Civil Music."Hailing from Norway, a nation who’s brand of alt-pop music is oft overshadowed by the ever thriving black metal scene – Highasakite deliver a fresh and organic approach to their work and this first taster of their Indian Summer EP" - Richard Thane, The Line Of Best Fit Indian Summer EP is out August 20th via Riot Factory.

Joe Knight (Rangers): “Walk in Closet”.

20 Jul 2012 — Henning Lahmann

As previously reported, San Francisco's Joe Knight, better known under his principal recording moniker Rangers, has started to refurbish some of his older material from his stellar LPs Suburban Tours and Pan Am Stories, exploring new depths and twists hidden within his own oeuvre. Moreover, there's also a brand new composition up on his Soundcloud. The beautifully deep and gently mesmerizing "Walk in Closet" is among the brightest and most crystal-clear works of Knight so far, stylistically close to his previous material yet lacking the hypnagogic underwater murk of his full-lengths. Very intriguing. Below, listen to the updated versions of "Jane's Well" and "Bronze Casket" and the particularly compelling rework of "John Is the Last of a Dying Breed". Read more → As previously reported, San Francisco's Joe Knight, better known under his principal recording moniker Rangers, has started to refurbish some of his older material from his stellar LPs Suburban Tours and Pan Am Stories, exploring new depths and twists hidden within his own oeuvre. Moreover, there's also a brand new composition up on his Soundcloud. The beautifully deep and gently mesmerizing "Walk in Closet" is among the brightest and most crystal-clear works of Knight so far, stylistically close to his previous material yet lacking the hypnagogic underwater murk of his full-lengths. Very intriguing. Below, listen to the updated versions of "Jane's Well" and "Bronze Casket" and the particularly compelling rework of "John Is the Last of a Dying Breed".

Stream: Heavenly Beat - Talent LP.

19 Jul 2012 — Tonje Thilesen

The dudes from Beach Fossils seem to have a bit of an creative overload within their band this year, as now Captured Tracks' second LP release with a Beach Fossils member is due, this time with bassist John Penã aka Heavenly Beat, whom was also on our radar last year. On his debut album Talent the beach reference is impossible to deny, as Penã draws his tropical tunes in the direction of the warmhearted, swedish synth pop, as he also states as a big influence. It hits me that the earlier works of Craft Spells' Justin Paul Vallesteros seem like a reasonable remark too, referring to the innocent, but intelligent melodies and beat-driven compositions. Stream Talent via Captured Tracks below. Read more → The dudes from Beach Fossils seem to have a bit of an creative overload within their band this year, as now Captured Tracks' second LP release with a Beach Fossils member is due, this time with bassist John Penã aka Heavenly Beat, whom was also on our radar last year. On his debut album Talent the beach reference is impossible to deny, as Penã draws his tropical tunes in the direction of the warmhearted, swedish synth pop, as he also states as a big influence. It hits me that the earlier works of Craft Spells' Justin Paul Vallesteros seem like a reasonable remark too, referring to the innocent, but intelligent melodies and beat-driven compositions. Stream Talent via Captured Tracks below.

I Am The Cosmos: “Yves Klein Blue”.

19 Jul 2012 — Tonje Thilesen

Over at that green island to the north-west of continental Europe, it seems that its people have thrown out guitars and quirky instruments for good and replaced them with midi boards and Moog synthesizers, in hope of slowly becoming the next 'Manchester', musically speaking. We don't really complain. In fact, Dublin's synth duo I Am The Cosmos are indeed on our radar for 'ones to watch' in Ireland (as our buddy Nialler9 seem to think as well), and under the mixing aid of Solar Bears' Rian Trench, this brand new IATC track below is quite a little aural synth pleasure, slowed-down and deadly catchy. You can already see cropped 80-s motion pictures of rollerskating, blonde beauties stroll down sunny streets in slow motion flicker before your eyes, can't you? Read more → Over at that green island to the north-west of continental Europe, it seems that its people have thrown out guitars and quirky instruments for good and replaced them with midi boards and Moog synthesizers, in hope of slowly becoming the next 'Manchester', musically speaking. We don't really complain. In fact, Dublin's synth duo I Am The Cosmos are indeed on our radar for 'ones to watch' in Ireland (as our buddy Nialler9 seem to think as well), and under the mixing aid of Solar Bears' Rian Trench, this brand new IATC track below is quite a little aural synth pleasure, slowed-down and deadly catchy. You can already see cropped 80-s motion pictures of rollerskating, blonde beauties stroll down sunny streets in slow motion flicker before your eyes, can't you?

Picture: “True”.

18 Jul 2012 — Tonje Thilesen

We've been quite excited about this release ever since the fine Cascine folks gave us a little preview of it last month, and finally, the first track from Sail A Whale's David Kyhlberg and his new project Picture is finally a part of the impeccable Cascine pop catalogue. With recognizable, aeronautical synths floating over balearic soundscapes (as if Air France came back from the grave and went shoegaze), Picture's beautiful track "True" couldn't have come from anywhere else than Sweden. Obviosuly. Expect the full EP out on July 31. Read more → We've been quite excited about this release ever since the fine Cascine folks gave us a little preview of it last month, and finally, the first track from Sail A Whale's David Kyhlberg and his new project Picture is finally a part of the impeccable Cascine pop catalogue. With recognizable, aeronautical synths floating over balearic soundscapes (as if Air France came back from the grave and went shoegaze), Picture's beautiful track "True" couldn't have come from anywhere else than Sweden. Obviosuly. Expect the full EP out on July 31.

FAY: “Shadow I” (Co La Iceless Version).

18 Jul 2012 — Henning Lahmann

Originally posted on Ad Hoc The only real chance to rework the compelling beats of Fay Davis-Jeffers' FAY project would be to rip it up entirely and shamelessly turn it into something that is distinctly your own. Enter Baltimore's Matthew Papich, better known as Co La, whose reputation for inhabiting his own autonomous sonic realm makes him a great candidate to remix FAY's "Shadow I". Even though Papich leaves the track's bare framework intact, his "Iceless Version" completely realigns the original, abandoning its signifyers while adding some truly unexpected, iridescent layers of synth that perfectly harmonize with FAY's outré R&B stutter. "Shadow I" is taken from DIN, which is out on Time No Place. Stream it in full here. Read more → Originally posted on Ad Hoc The only real chance to rework the compelling beats of Fay Davis-Jeffers' FAY project would be to rip it up entirely and shamelessly turn it into something that is distinctly your own. Enter Baltimore's Matthew Papich, better known as Co La, whose reputation for inhabiting his own autonomous sonic realm makes him a great candidate to remix FAY's "Shadow I". Even though Papich leaves the track's bare framework intact, his "Iceless Version" completely realigns the original, abandoning its signifyers while adding some truly unexpected, iridescent layers of synth that perfectly harmonize with FAY's outré R&B stutter. "Shadow I" is taken from DIN, which is out on Time No Place. Stream it in full here.

Stream: Talk In Colour - ColliderScope.

18 Jul 2012 — Tonje Thilesen

On their debut album ColliderScope, the London quintet Talk In Colour have a lot of ideas, but undeniably, at times a few too many of them. There's the raw, experimental instrumentation in veins of "No Other" or the intro track "Intra", and on the other side, the vocally dominant, folk-infused tracks like the beautiful "Nightshifts" or the Hundred Waters-esque "Bones". ColliderScope schizophrenically moves between these two aspects of the album (literally on every second track), debating between the inclusion of Mary Erksine's vocals and the electronically leaning, Battles-like instrumentals. As much as the breaks are interesting, it may also a struggle to find a link between the two of them, despite somehow merging together on the seventh track "Headlights". But this is also my only issue. Criticism aside though, a lot of the material on the record is surprisingly strong, and undisputably had us hooked from the very first minute throughout its 45 minute sonic and colourful spin, and I'm quite sure that you will too. Stream the whole record exclusively below, available for orders via Night Cabin Records. Read more → On their debut album ColliderScope, the London quintet Talk In Colour have a lot of ideas, but undeniably, at times a few too many of them. There's the raw, experimental instrumentation in veins of "No Other" or the intro track "Intra", and on the other side, the vocally dominant, folk-infused tracks like the beautiful "Nightshifts" or the Hundred Waters-esque "Bones". ColliderScope schizophrenically moves between these two aspects of the album (literally on every second track), debating between the inclusion of Mary Erksine's vocals and the electronically leaning, Battles-like instrumentals. As much as the breaks are interesting, it may also a struggle to find a link between the two of them, despite somehow merging together on the seventh track "Headlights". But this is also my only issue. Criticism aside though, a lot of the material on the record is surprisingly strong, and undisputably had us hooked from the very first minute throughout its 45 minute sonic and colourful spin, and I'm quite sure that you will too. Stream the whole record exclusively below, available for orders via Night Cabin Records.