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.

Premiere: Félicia Atkinson - “Franny”.

17 Jul 2012 — Tonje Thilesen

Here's a brand new cut from NFOP favourite Félicia Atkinson, the Paris-born artistic beauty that you may also know from JE SUIS LE PETIT CHEVALIER. Following her February release so beautifully entitled On Being Kind To Horses (an extraordinary, soul-enchanting ambient piece that could nearly fall into the same cathedral-spaced category as Tim Hecker), this new A-side below moves away from the massively altering sound and into a dark and minimal, grunge-y setting; definitely some of the "weirdest" this French goddess have provided us with so far. The 7 inch will be available soon for orders via Cooper Cult. Read more → Here's a brand new cut from NFOP favourite Félicia Atkinson, the Paris-born artistic beauty that you may also know from JE SUIS LE PETIT CHEVALIER. Following her February release so beautifully entitled On Being Kind To Horses (an extraordinary, soul-enchanting ambient piece that could nearly fall into the same cathedral-spaced category as Tim Hecker), this new A-side below moves away from the massively altering sound and into a dark and minimal, grunge-y setting; definitely some of the "weirdest" this French goddess have provided us with so far. The 7 inch will be available soon for orders via Cooper Cult.

Le Galaxie: “Love System”.

17 Jul 2012 — Tonje Thilesen

Behold. Spaceships! Synthesizers! This heavily Ford & Lopatin-influenced quartet sure got it going in the right direction, whom according to facebook have decided to name their hometown "Europe", apparently keeping their identities under a veil of mystery. Literally touching every tacky sound you could ever wish for, "Love System" below is nicely wrapped up under the light of a disco ball, annoyingly catchy, dreamy vocals, and just the way we like it. Stream the EP Fade 2 Forever via The Delphi Label. The 10 inch white vinyl is also available at London's Rough Trade. Read more → Behold. Spaceships! Synthesizers! This heavily Ford & Lopatin-influenced quartet sure got it going in the right direction, whom according to facebook have decided to name their hometown "Europe", apparently keeping their identities under a veil of mystery. Literally touching every tacky sound you could ever wish for, "Love System" below is nicely wrapped up under the light of a disco ball, annoyingly catchy, dreamy vocals, and just the way we like it. Stream the EP Fade 2 Forever via The Delphi Label. The 10 inch white vinyl is also available at London's Rough Trade.