Video: Cross Record - “Cups in the Sink”.

26 Jul 2012 — Henning Lahmann

Wonderfully haunting, slow-burning drone pop by Emily Cross aka Cross Record, a Midwestern native currently residing in Maine. Her debut LP Be Good is set for release next month, and "Cups in the Sink" is the first track to be unveiled. It takes up the loose ends of fellow artists such as Cat Power, Bat for Lashes and the subtle, less determined eeriness of Grouper to come up with a gorgeous and alluring piece of autumnal melancholia. If you want to know more about how the album came about in the middle of a Michigan winter, you should head over to YVYNYL to read a beautiful letter by Emily, telling the whole story. Be Good is out in August on Lay Flat. Pre-order now over here. Read more → Wonderfully haunting, slow-burning drone pop by Emily Cross aka Cross Record, a Midwestern native currently residing in Maine. Her debut LP Be Good is set for release next month, and "Cups in the Sink" is the first track to be unveiled. It takes up the loose ends of fellow artists such as Cat Power, Bat for Lashes and the subtle, less determined eeriness of Grouper to come up with a gorgeous and alluring piece of autumnal melancholia. If you want to know more about how the album came about in the middle of a Michigan winter, you should head over to YVYNYL to read a beautiful letter by Emily, telling the whole story. Be Good is out in August on Lay Flat. Pre-order now over here.

Blood Diamonds x Grimes: “Phone Sex (Jensen Sportag Remix)”.

26 Jul 2012 — Tonje Thilesen

NFOP favourites and Cascine babies Jensen Sportag don't seem to be able to release somthing that doesn't shine of utter perfection, and their most recent remix aid of Blood Diamonds x Grimes' "Phone Sex" is another definite example of their nostalgic audio love. We can't wait for their debut LP. Read more → NFOP favourites and Cascine babies Jensen Sportag don't seem to be able to release somthing that doesn't shine of utter perfection, and their most recent remix aid of Blood Diamonds x Grimes' "Phone Sex" is another definite example of their nostalgic audio love. We can't wait for their debut LP.

Compilation: Look At Me 10.

26 Jul 2012 — Henning Lahmann

As you might already have read somewhere else last week, Russian culture magazine Look At Me put on a competition, asking more than six hundred young and local musicians to hand in examples of their work. Subsequently, ten finalists were picked who produced as many tracks for the concluding compilation, each of them having one "Western" artist to help out in terms of song production. The result, Look At Me 10, is probably one of the most unexpected and thoroughly fascinating projects in recent years. It sheds some seriously needed and overdue light on the obviously rich Russian underground pop scene. Together with some of the most exciting contemporary artists of the so-called Western hemisphere, including NFOP favs such as Nite Jewel, Dent May, Digits, Maria Minerva, and Teengirl Fantasy, the ten tracks offer a dazzling variety of pop, from straight-up dance to noise-infused experimentalism. Take a listen to the whole record below. Read more → As you might already have read somewhere else last week, Russian culture magazine Look At Me put on a competition, asking more than six hundred young and local musicians to hand in examples of their work. Subsequently, ten finalists were picked who produced as many tracks for the concluding compilation, each of them having one "Western" artist to help out in terms of song production. The result, Look At Me 10, is probably one of the most unexpected and thoroughly fascinating projects in recent years. It sheds some seriously needed and overdue light on the obviously rich Russian underground pop scene. Together with some of the most exciting contemporary artists of the so-called Western hemisphere, including NFOP favs such as Nite Jewel, Dent May, Digits, Maria Minerva, and Teengirl Fantasy, the ten tracks offer a dazzling variety of pop, from straight-up dance to noise-infused experimentalism. Take a listen to the whole record below.

Twigs & Yarn - “Bird Whisperer”.

25 Jul 2012 — Henning

Paper Cloud Improvisations, a series of live improvisations, blend ambient guitar tones with looped sounds of rustling paper and whispers, and the result is hauntingly beautiful. Twigs & Yarn are a duo based out of Austin, TX whose songs are almost exclusively improvised & recorded live. "Bird Whisperer" is a stunning example of an ambient soundscape created by organic sounds. In all of their tracks, though, there's an undercurrent of tension hidden in the layers that makes it difficult to pull away.

The collection can be heard in its entirety on Soundcloud.

The duo's debut full-length album, The Language of Flowers, whose album cover is featured above, is set to be released August 22 through the Japanese label Flau.

A side note: I'm Kelsie (you may also know me as Red Alder) and I'm the newest contributor to NFOP. I'm completely excited to be able to share my musical discoveries with you and to be part of this team.

Read more →

Paper Cloud Improvisations, a series of live improvisations, blend ambient guitar tones with looped sounds of rustling paper and whispers, and the result is hauntingly beautiful. Twigs & Yarn are a duo based out of Austin, TX whose songs are almost exclusively improvised & recorded live. "Bird Whisperer" is a stunning example of an ambient soundscape created by organic sounds. In all of their tracks, though, there's an undercurrent of tension hidden in the layers that makes it difficult to pull away.

The collection can be heard in its entirety on Soundcloud.

The duo's debut full-length album, The Language of Flowers, whose album cover is featured above, is set to be released August 22 through the Japanese label Flau.

A side note: I'm Kelsie (you may also know me as Red Alder) and I'm the newest contributor to NFOP. I'm completely excited to be able to share my musical discoveries with you and to be part of this team.

Premiere: The Louche - “Salt”.

25 Jul 2012 — Tonje Thilesen

Originally posted on Ad Hoc The aural mecca of Manchester locals (and outsiders) have yet again provided us with a fine bunch of new, intriguing names thus far in 2012, including altering genres from the likes of M O N E Y, Father Sculptor and PINS on the melancholic side, to drenching proto-techno or the moody club-killer Moses Gold, former contributor of Stay+. In fact, The Louche was brought to our attention by the brain behind the lastly mentioned moniker (via the superb SWAYS Records), rumored to have a fiery, beguiling presence on stage. Sulked in reverb and distorted guitars, this very rumor even shines through in a recorded outfit, moving from sonic shoegaze harmonies to carefree noise-rock. Read more → Originally posted on Ad Hoc The aural mecca of Manchester locals (and outsiders) have yet again provided us with a fine bunch of new, intriguing names thus far in 2012, including altering genres from the likes of M O N E Y, Father Sculptor and PINS on the melancholic side, to drenching proto-techno or the moody club-killer Moses Gold, former contributor of Stay+. In fact, The Louche was brought to our attention by the brain behind the lastly mentioned moniker (via the superb SWAYS Records), rumored to have a fiery, beguiling presence on stage. Sulked in reverb and distorted guitars, this very rumor even shines through in a recorded outfit, moving from sonic shoegaze harmonies to carefree noise-rock.

Premiere: Alice Cohen - “Sunspots” (Lovers and Reflections Remix).

23 Jul 2012 — Henning Lahmann

Here's a brand new rework of Alice Cohen's "Sunspots", taken from her latest full-length Pink Keys, an excellent and impressively confident example of contemporary avant-garde pop music and definitely one of the more unexpected releases of 2012 so far. Baltimore's Lovers and Reflections, the collaborative project of Regan Rebecca and producer Chris Moore (with productions for Liars, Yeah Yeah Yeah's, and TV on the Radio in his portfolio), have turned the low-key, reflective original into a considerably more upbeat, relentlessly grooving funk track, carried by a commanding synth bass line and an oddly irresistible rhythm that comes complete with hand claps. Pink Keys is out on Olde English Spelling Bee. Lovers and Reflections are not the first ones to accept remix duties for Pink Keys. Below, listen to a very compelling reinterpretation of the marvelous "Cascading Keys", executed by Chicago synth poppers Casimir & Casimir and premiered a little while back on Interview Magazine. Read more → Here's a brand new rework of Alice Cohen's "Sunspots", taken from her latest full-length Pink Keys, an excellent and impressively confident example of contemporary avant-garde pop music and definitely one of the more unexpected releases of 2012 so far. Baltimore's Lovers and Reflections, the collaborative project of Regan Rebecca and producer Chris Moore (with productions for Liars, Yeah Yeah Yeah's, and TV on the Radio in his portfolio), have turned the low-key, reflective original into a considerably more upbeat, relentlessly grooving funk track, carried by a commanding synth bass line and an oddly irresistible rhythm that comes complete with hand claps. Pink Keys is out on Olde English Spelling Bee. Lovers and Reflections are not the first ones to accept remix duties for Pink Keys. Below, listen to a very compelling reinterpretation of the marvelous "Cascading Keys", executed by Chicago synth poppers Casimir & Casimir and premiered a little while back on Interview Magazine.

Father Sculptor: “Frances”.

21 Jul 2012 — Tonje Thilesen

It's interesting stumble across yet another Manchester-based outfit that draws a similar atmosphere to the much-buzzed about quartet MONEY, and even though Father Sculptor might be in a imperceptibly different genre, the similarities are still existent. Father Sculptor (the weird name taken aside) have also decided, as an quite unsurprising action these days, to keep their identities to themselves, wanting the focus to be held on their music alone instead on them as people. In other words, a similar explanation our own obsession Unknown gave us in our recent interview with him. The similarities to MONEY aside, Father Sculptor definitely lean towards a rougher and perhaps more classic sound, but as the night-like sound picture avails, a congruent melancholy builds up, just the thing that had us so hooked on MONEY in the first place. Download their two most recent tracks, "Frances" and "Rhein" via their bandcamp page. Read more → It's interesting stumble across yet another Manchester-based outfit that draws a similar atmosphere to the much-buzzed about quartet MONEY, and even though Father Sculptor might be in a imperceptibly different genre, the similarities are still existent. Father Sculptor (the weird name taken aside) have also decided, as an quite unsurprising action these days, to keep their identities to themselves, wanting the focus to be held on their music alone instead on them as people. In other words, a similar explanation our own obsession Unknown gave us in our recent interview with him. The similarities to MONEY aside, Father Sculptor definitely lean towards a rougher and perhaps more classic sound, but as the night-like sound picture avails, a congruent melancholy builds up, just the thing that had us so hooked on MONEY in the first place. Download their two most recent tracks, "Frances" and "Rhein" via their bandcamp page.