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.
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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.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
Sick and completely unexpected dancefloor killer by Sean Bowie aka Teams, massive jam that features everything from rave horns (we're very much into those), staggering beatwork and classy house samples. Not sure what exactly this one is actually introducing, but Bowie told me he made it for a show last weekend, and oh it certainly is just the write kick-off to get the crowd going. Perfect treat to start your weekend.
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Sick and completely unexpected dancefloor killer by Sean Bowie aka Teams, massive jam that features everything from rave horns (we're very much into those), staggering beatwork and classy house samples. Not sure what exactly this one is actually introducing, but Bowie told me he made it for a show last weekend, and oh it certainly is just the write kick-off to get the crowd going. Perfect treat to start your weekend.
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. BearWill 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, DummyHeld 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, FaderTotal 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 FitAeolian 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 FitIndian 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. BearWill 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, DummyHeld 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, FaderTotal 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 FitAeolian 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 FitIndian Summer EP is out August 20th via Riot Factory.
NFOP favourites and 
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 →
Here's a brand new rework of 
It's interesting stumble across yet another Manchester-based outfit that draws a similar atmosphere to the much-buzzed about quartet 
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,