NFOP x Le Guess Who?: Old Apparatus

27 Nov 2012 — Henning Lahmann

There surely is no lack of unique, challenging and forward-thinking music festivals in the Netherlands, with the lovely Incubate in Tilburg in September, The Hague's Rewire in early November, or of course the notorious megalomania of the Amsterdam Dance Event - to name but a few. This coming weekend from Thursday to Sunday, all music people should turn their heads towards the beautiful city of Utrecht, which will host the sixth edition of another festival that is not to be missed, Le Guess Who? A couple of weeks back, the organisers asked us to have a look at the breathtaking line-up, which sports names such as Matthew Dear, Fuck Buttons, Koreless, Mac DeMarco, Lucrecia Dalt, Grouper, DIIV, and countless other NFOP favourites, and pick one lesser known of them in order to briefly introduce and recommend the artist. The selection process was quick, as one of this year's most exciting (fairly) new groups/artist collectives is headed for Utrecht: Old Apparatus. Read about them below.

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There has been a fair bit of bashing of the pop cultural phenomenon of artistic anonymity as of late, usually as a means to proceed with an "exception to the rule", a writer's trick that in itself is already becoming rather tiring. However, I'm totally with Tom Krell and his assertion that "anonymity has just become a completely formal gesture that's totally unrelated to any musical content", as he told Pitchfork's Larry Fitzmaurice in a recent interview, for his observation leaves room for a different approach towards the whole anonymity thing: There have always been ("always" meaning something like "in the post-Burial pop cultural landscape") two types of faceless artists, on the one hand those who remain anonymous for anonymity's sake, claiming to remain in the shadows so every listener can entirely focus on the "music itself" (and Selim Bulut is absolutely right to point out that this is absolutely impossible precisely because of the artist's anonymity). On the other hand, remaining incognito can be part of a larger, truly artistic concept that, if done right, manages to transcend the individual's identity to become an idea that stands on its own. Old Apparatus are this year's number one example for the latter category. With a strong identity that is not only expressed musically but equally relies on the visual aspects such as artworks and videos, Old Apparatus has (singular) become a musical entity in its own right. Acting as a true collective, of the four EPs that were released in 2012 via their own Sullen Tone imprint --Derren, Realise, Alfur, and Harem--, each of the last three was assembled completely by single members of the quartet, yet every single track put out is credited as a work of the group. It's still true that "throughout the three records you’ll hear the contrast and variation", and that "you hear the characteristics of each of the producers coming through", as the artists suggested in a very insightful interview with FACT in August - but once released as an Old Apparatus EP, all efforts become an inseparable part of the collective('s) aesthetic. Taken together, the 17 tracks amount to one of the most staggering examples of haunted, forward-thinking electronic music released in the past few years, with a panoramic sonic pallette that, despite its constant gloomy undertones, dips into almost every aspect of modern music, ranging from industrial, post-rock, hip-hop, noise, techno, to the whole kaleidoscope of contemporary UK bass. So whatever your plans are for the festival are, be sure you don't miss out on Old Apparatus. So far I haven't had the chance to see them perform live, but if their visual aesthetics as showcased in their videos are anything to go by, I'm sure it will be nothing short of mind-blowing.

Old Apparatus will perform at Tivoli de Helling on Saturday, December 1 at 10pm. Don't think about changing the venue too much that night, as the group will be preceded by Tim Hecker and followed by Beak>, Adrian Sherwood, Machinedrum, and Objekt.

Festival tickets are still available over here.

 

Mix: Love Cult “Things Are Worse in Russia” (Exclusive)

27 Nov 2012 — Henning Lahmann

Petrozavodsk, Republic of Karelia duo Love Cult aka Anya Kuts and Ivan Afanasyev - who also run the sick tape label Full Of Nothing and who had already been featured on this website sometime last year - dropped their LP Fingers Crossed yesterday via our favourite label Public Information, and Boomkat has correctly named it "album of the week". To celebrate the massive blend of pitch-black drones and post-ironic noise assaults, the two have assembled the charmingly entitled mix Things Are Worse in Russia, a superb hour-long exploration into homegrown folk and electronics as well as everything from Slowdive to The Beach Boys, closing with an exclusive remix of album track "Lulling Demons to Sleep" by Public Information fellow Austin Cesear. Here's what the duo has to say about it:

Be still, we're trying to grasp something here. Never mind the coos and interruptions. These are tunes frost-bitten and sun-warped. Some may save lives and break hearts - exactly what one needs for the coming winter. Snow falls steadily in Karelia, we have our collars all the way up. Black nights filled with editing and manipulating, coffee, zombie flicks. Some in-the-red tones for courage, a couple of laid-back breakdowns for soothing. Have you heard "Fingers Crossed"? 3 years of Love Cult: crude visions, new honesty, strange beliefs and sonic quests. Togetherness. As things seesaw back and forth, no drugs are needed. The winter is here to stay, get in the loop. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep.

Fingers Crossed is now out on Public Information. Get it over here.

Tracklist:

I. Sam Mayo - Things Are Worse in Russia
II. Кино - Следи за собой [Thomas Brinkmann "Pass Auf Dich Auf" Remix]
III. Мох - А я?
IV. Black Dice - Live Loop
V. Ignatz - Eager Eyed
VI. Savant - The Neo-Realist
VII. Wolfsheim - Lovesong
VIII. James Ferraro - Steel Escape
IX. ADD - Ju Tu
X. Kool A.D. - Power/Refinement Knowledge
XI. Уроборос - Наши призраки [Private Edit]
XII. Slowdive - Trellisaze
XIII. SCSI-9 - Ich Kann Nicht Anders
XIV. Pye Corner Audio - Recrypt
XV. Swans - You Know Everything [Reprise 1991]
XVI. The Beach Boys - All I Wanna Do
XVII. Янка - Я повторяю 10 раз и снова
XVIII. The Low Frequency in Stereo - Man Don't Walk
XIX. Death in June - She Said Destroy
XX. Woodpecker Wooliams - Crow
XXI. Psychic TV - This Is The Final War
XXII. Broadcast - Microtronics 16
XXIII. William Basinski - Untitled
XXIV. Love Cult - Lulling Demons to Dub [Austin Cesear Remix]

Listen to samples from Fingers Crossed and watch a video edit for closing track "Place To Get Lost In" below.

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Stream: Femminielli “Double Invitation”

27 Nov 2012 — Alt Altman

Toronto native Alt Altman, better known to most as the man behind the next gen synth pop project Digits, has been an enthusiastic observer of the Canadian underground pop scene for quite a while now with his site Silent Shout. As we all know, there's a lot going on between Vancouver and St. John's these days, and though we here at NFOP have always been avid followers, from now on, Alt will help us out regarding all things Canadiana. (ed.)

Montréal producer Bernardino Femminielli had already left a significant mark on the Canadian music scene before releasing his third album Double Invitation, having toured as a live member of Dirty Beaches and producing some tracks for Montreal pop-star-in-waiting Jef Barbara. But on Double Invititation, Femminielli has made it clear that he is possibly the best current Italo songwriter/producer in the world. Drawing equally from the camps of Moroder and Gainsbourg, Double Invitation is divided between creepy synthpop singles like "Chauffeur" and "A Que Quieres Jugar" and epic long-form dark disco. Carefully constructed down to the last detail, it sounds so authentic it's difficult to believe it isn't from the late 1970s.

Double Invitation is out on Desire Records. Order your copy over here.

On December 8, Femminielli and Jef Barbara will play in Berlin as part of another NFOP x Noisekölln night of delightful madness. More info on that soon and over here.

 

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Stream: Hype Williams “London 2012”

26 Nov 2012 — Henning Lahmann

As reported last Friday, Inga Copeland & Dean Blunt aka Hype Williams have compiled a 20-minute tour CD sold at their recent shows in Berlin and London (and probably at other occasions as well). While we haven't heard anything from this Saturday's appearance in London, last Thursday's Berghain show purportedly was very short (approximately the length of said CD), and the sound was rather bad. Well. In any case, London 2012 is excellent, staying safely on the distinctly pop side of things, which has always been a particularly remarkable aspect of the whole Hype Williams oeuvre. Listen and download below.

 

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Zoe Polanski: Thoughts from Tel Aviv

26 Nov 2012 — Henning Lahmann

Last week, once again it turned out that the people on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea simply don’t focus on falafel enough, instead leaving the field to the IDF and the Al-Qassam Brigades in order to do the job that simply won’t be done this way. For now, further escalation has been stopped, with another ceasefire in place that might or might not serve as the foundation for something more sustaibable. So far however, there surely is no reason whatsoever to become overly optimistic in this regard. I will abstain from doing you the favour to put this whole mess into context or even suggest a causal nexus, as all too many people have done so already; that’s business as usual. Looking at the public opinion in Europe in particular, what has always been most striking in view of Israel and Palestine is the odd correlation between ignorance and assertiveness: The less you actually know about the conflict, it appears, the stronger your opinion will be, and the louder you’ll be heard. Sadly, thanks to ineradicable resentment and preoccupation, ignorance is by and large prevalent, which in a better world should lead to the opposite conclusion: if we don’t know, who the fuck are we to judge?

Above all, having an opinion is certainly easier when you don't live in the war zone, or close enough to be an actual target during fighting. Last week, the people of Tel Aviv, one of the most vibrant and culturally rich cities on this planet, received a few reminders that they do, after the first successful bomb attack in years and after Hamas had proven that the city now lies well within the reach of their rockets. In view of that and the media cacophony that we all have been and continue to be confronted with, it's a relief to have someone offering words that are distinctly different from the clichéd opinions that we've read over and over again. Tel Aviv-based artist Zoe Polanski, who has been part of the city's underground music scene for years and who nowadays performs under her solo moniker Bela Tar, has agreed to share some personal impressions on the situation at home during these last days, and what it feels like to be an Israeli artist. Read her thoughts below.

(Photo of Zoe Polanski by Jennifer Abessira)

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I live in a suburb north east of Tel Aviv. My house is located on a hill across from the Samaria mountain ridge. Some days I can see the mountains crisp and clear from my driveway, other days they are wrapped with heavy fog. They always intrigue me and as time goes by I feel a growing curiosity and attachment to them. Needless to say that I can never actually go there because it is considered to be unsafe. I am sure that the counter position, that of people who reside in Arab towns and villages on the mountains, is very much like my own. We all see a great wide open and yet we are constrained and restricted within it.

I believe that the community of artists and musicians in Tel Aviv may be experiencing an effect that resembles this illusion of space. To us, it usually feels like we are a part of a global happening in terms of culture because Tel Aviv is extremely cosmopolitan in nature, and it is packed with young, up to date individuals who constantly open communication channels with the world. But Tel Aviv is just one small city inside a Middle Eastern country and we are so adjusted to living inside this box that really seems to give us all we need, intellectually speaking, that we often forget --and choose to forget-- where we are. The missiles are just a reminder. But regarding art, I personally don't feel it changes anything. We mastered escapism before and we still do. Pain influences us all the time, because this place is constantly tough, but the enemy is a bogus one. It changes form all the time, usually thanks to a manipulative media force which is flooded with commercial content. I think that struggles to survive are always being made, not only by two different sides but by countless different sides. The politicians with their supposedly aerial perspective are trying to bring order into chaos with different master plans, that aim to change micro through macro. My personal way to deal with the chaos is to focus on the micro and let little things naturally grow and spread. The way I write is the same, no master plans.

Regarding the Palestinians, I guess that I always thought that in order to come together and mix with other people, different from ourselves, we need to form together some product of love such as art, music or well... babies. So giving up a separatist approach is probably a good idea. I love venues and artist communities in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem (Uganda, The Zimmer) that are completely liberal and really open themselves to a variety of performers and audiences.

In short, we may feel solidarity but our life is not changed. Me and everyone I know, we just keep doing what we do under the familiar limitations and misconceptions, and we feel elevated.

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After spending her early years in Haifa, Zoe Polanski moved to Tel Aviv where she started playing in numerous bands and projects before starting her solo venture Bela Tar, making guitar-centered dream pop heavily influenced by classic, late-80s shoegaze. Her debut recording Pulsar was released in 2010 via Uganda and is still available via bandcamp. Below, you may listen to Zoe's latest single "Black Mark", which was released about a month ago, and watch the accompanying video, directed by Valentina Dell'Aquila.

 

Birds of Passage “The Brave Man with a Sword”

26 Nov 2012 — Tonje Thilesen

As a part of a four-way cassette split with some of our favourite pop experimentalists (Motion Sickness of Time Travel and Je Suis Le Petit Chevalier aka Felicia Atkinson), New Zealand's Birds of Passage provides the feminine pool with an utterly intelligent drone, suitably entitled 'The Brave Man with a Sword'. Wrapped up in a pool of distortion, a series of drowned piano loops conquer the cross-grained landscape, slowly dissolving into a sacred atmosphere over the New Zealandish land. 

The 'ultra limited' cassettes will be available for orders via Cooper Cult soon. 

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Atlas “Feel Me”

26 Nov 2012 — Henning Lahmann

Fairly new Leeds-based quartet Atlas certainly know what's up. "Feel Me", taken from their forthcoming 12" named Don't Explain, is polished, straight-up pop music that not only shows great potential regarding the songwriting in itself but that most of all proves that the musicians know pretty well which production tricks to employ in order to sound truly now, the result being a tune that should work well both for some 5am, post-euphoric dancefloor comedown and your daily afternoon listening session. Well done.

The Don't Explain 12" is out January 14 via London-based Coja Records. Pre-order now over here. Remixes by Bam Spacey, Luvian, and The Soft are set to follow.

 

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