The Bedroom Club is a fitting title for this new compilation put out by the always exciting No Pain In Pop. The contributing artists have been inspired by themes of ‘solitude’ and ‘isolation’ to create music from the intramural that is heavily influenced by the club and the bedroom composer notion. This has become a well-explored theme – music that is inspired by the metropolis and should be played alone during the early morning hours. But this compilation differs from other conceptually similar tracks. The individual tracks have a much profounder impact, as the artists are defiantly not just jumping on a current sound. Also, the ‘solitude’ of the bedroom producer shines through vividly without sounding contrived. There is serenity and an urbanised ambience that is implemented throughout these tracks, as if they are actually responding to the city's call. The more club-friendly tracks are graceful and personal, and this is a compilation that is perfectly weighted. Special mention has to go to the exciting return of Forest Swords, back in a new project with fine artist Otto Baer called Dyymond of Durham (if you are not stuck in GEMA-infected Germany like we are, you may watch the video for their track "Hunger" over here). Also, John Ola’s "bd" and the apocalyptic "Bantha Fodder" from Ornine are all excellent. No Pain in Pop always have an amazing ability to sound unique – even if when the path is well trodden, there is nothing else like this.
The Bedroom Club II is out on Monday, January 28. Order your copy here, the 12" edition is limited to 300.
Tracklisting:
(1) Ukkonen - Five to Three
(2) john ola - bd
(3) Buffalo Tide - Mädchen Amick
(4) Beams - Reveal Secrets (The Processes)
(5) Karen Gwyer - Tehe! Blah blah! Shhhh!
(6) Ornine - Bantha Fodder
(7) Dyymond of Durham - Hunger
Take a listen to Karen Gwyer's contribution below. In related news, Gwyer will release her proper debut full-length Needs Continuum on NPIP as well, the album is due February 25. Pre-order now over here.
Before one begins on this chromatic voyage into the world of Slime Code, it is important to appreciate the journey the record has taken, too. It began life as a live recording, orchestrated by Dan Hayhurst and visual artist Reuben Sutherland, aka Sculpture, on July 1, 2011. The resonance produced was recorded through an 8-track tape player which was then compiled on unique c20 dubs. A digital edit was assembled from this, which lead to the visceral Slime Code.
Released on patten’s Kaleidoscope label, Slime Code is a half an hour recording of cosmic, worldly electronics. The record takes no rational direction; it meanders about, furiously changing route, then twisting back on itself. Every time one gets comfortable with the direction, you are abruptly transported into another dimension, starting the journey again in a new extrinsic realm. It’s a fully absorbing record, with some dazzling rhythms that are displaced in-between the jungle of primitive electronics, which sound a like early BBC Radiophonic explorations. The piece ends with a distinct tribal rhythm that brings you out of your astral trance with a jolt. It’s a journey well worth the ride.
Slime Code has now been re-released on vinyl by Digitalis. Get it over at Boomkat now. Highly recommended.
First single "Save Me" off UK-producer Hervé's The Art of Disappearing will make you even chillier than January got you already. Spooky pain pop featuring the always-piercing vocals of Austra's Katie Stelmanis and unsettling, noise-swept video footage that feels like watching private VHS tapes, not all of which you were supposed to see. The music video is directed by Tim Kelly and makes a snug fit with the track. Known for his rave productions & DJ sets, Hervé converts his sound with these down-tempo, witchy beats. We like it a lot so far and look forward to hear the rest of it when the album drops on March 4 via Cheap Thrills.
One of the more endearing elements of Mac DeMarco's often endearing rise to prominence has been the proliferation of side projects involving the members of his live band. Walter TV, the spastic psych-pop group fronted by DeMarco's bass player Pierce McGarry, put out a couple of excellent releases last year, and guitarist Peter Sagar is following suit with his project, Homeshake. Homeshake's first release, The Homeshake Tape, is very clearly the work of the same group of people, and to some extent splits the difference between Mac DeMarco and Walter TV, embracing the downbeat, jangly-guitared languor of some of DeMarco's work, while nodding to Walter TV's more experimental flourishes. "Northern Man" is perhaps the best marrying of these two aesthetics, with Sagar's shamblingly intricate guitar playing combining with a likeably lazy vocal into something redolent of the best Elephant 6 recordings. "Moon Woman", by contrast, is pure DeMarco. All smooth sleaze without the rough edges sanded down, the general creep providing cover for a tightly composed, totally guileless little love song. As with seemingly everything associated with Mac DeMarco, its always listenable, frequently interesting, and when all else fails it gets by on charm and personality.
The Homeshake Tape will be out on Fixture Records on January 29.
You had to expect something big from Brighton producer Tourist eventually. Over the past few years, Tourist remixes of bands like Ariel Pink, Memory Tapes, and HEALTH have been rearing up here and there. "Tonight" hits the floor a bit harder than the hazy beats this dude was becoming known for. Carried forward on a wave of that UK standard of soft voices played like piano keys, this one still has all of the necessary drops which build toward a real talkative peak, like when everyone finally shows up to the party four hours late.
"Tonight" from the new EP of the same name will be released digitally February 18 on Monday Records.
Not sure how many ways there might exist to visualize Umberto's Carpenter-infused, cinematic synth nightmares, but taking the classic horror movie/Lynch approach is certainly the first possibility that comes to mind. But no need for accusations here: The video for "Night Fantasy" just damn well transfers the Kansas City dark prince's eerie vision.
"Night Fantasy" appears on Umberto's forthcoming full-length Confrontations, out soon via Not Not Fun. Pre-order now over here. Umberto will perform in Berlin on February 27.
I'm pretty sure I'm not alone with occasionally judging music by its name before actually having listened to it, and that was probably why I completely ignored the excistence of High Highs in 2011 and the beginning of 2012; until I decided to go for a long, aural walk into my Tunes library. And just like that, High Highs self-titled, four track EP became one of my most listened EPs of 2012; perhaps as it adds perfectly to the otherwise 70% of sad music I listen to on a weekly basis, pretty much. Anyways. With their stunning new single "In A Dream" below, the New York-based duo are finally ready to release their debut albumOpen Season – out tomorrow in Australia via Fine Time.
Just a few weeks ago, a brand new tune appreared in the Soundcloud space of New York-via-Edmonton beatmaker Headaches, and with the crusty production from his "casserole clusterfuck" remix of "Ride" fresh in mind, "No What" seems like the perfect follow-up. The track builds up around a cosmopolitan club atmosphere, slowly incorperating more celestial, open-minded ideas, constantly adding new beats to the evolving soundscape.
More info on his upcoming EP soon. In the meantime, check out his splendid photography (seriously, do it.)
