Just a quick heads-up to this year's first essential pop release on cassette, Mauro Remiddi aka Porcelain Raft's Ghosts of The Perfect Language, out now in a gorgeously crafted edition by our darlings in the Far East, Tokyo's Sixteen Tambourines. The tape collects five of the numerous gems Remiddi let out into the world over the course of 2010, plus the relatively new tune Come Closer which has been recorded exclusively for this release. Together with the beautifully edited video by the artist himself, Come Closer is dream pop in its ultimate perfection and my favorite Porcelain Raft song to date.
Order one of the clear cassettes with adequate silver printing right now over here, the edition is strictly limited to 150 items.
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Just a quick heads-up to this year's first essential pop release on cassette, Mauro Remiddi aka Porcelain Raft's Ghosts of The Perfect Language, out now in a gorgeously crafted edition by our darlings in the Far East, Tokyo's Sixteen Tambourines. The tape collects five of the numerous gems Remiddi let out into the world over the course of 2010, plus the relatively new tune Come Closer which has been recorded exclusively for this release. Together with the beautifully edited video by the artist himself, Come Closer is dream pop in its ultimate perfection and my favorite Porcelain Raft song to date.
Order one of the clear cassettes with adequate silver printing right now over here, the edition is strictly limited to 150 items.
After releasing his critically acclaimed (and shortlisted) LP Warmy Girls on Moon Glyph last November, Velvet Davenport's Parker Sprout decided to spend the winter months in Berlin - which might even make some sense if you hail from Minneapolis, Minnesota - to play some shows around Europe and record new songs for an upcoming, as yet unnamed album.
This Saturday, having just returned from a short trip to Spain with shows in Madrid and Barcelona, Parker will play for us at Neukölln's tiny but wonderful venue Ida Nowhere, presumably already presenting some of his brand new material. No admission, though donations to help the artist and the venue will be greatly appreciated.
A little earlier, Revolog, a new Austrian start-up that produces special effects films for 35 mm cameras, is gonna start an open photography competition to present its sweet product. From six p.m., admission to participate is 16 Euros (including one film and its development/scanning/printing).
Photo/artwork by Florian ReischauerVelvet Davenport - Warmy Personal RoutineRead more →
After releasing his critically acclaimed (and shortlisted) LP Warmy Girls on Moon Glyph last November, Velvet Davenport's Parker Sprout decided to spend the winter months in Berlin - which might even make some sense if you hail from Minneapolis, Minnesota - to play some shows around Europe and record new songs for an upcoming, as yet unnamed album.
This Saturday, having just returned from a short trip to Spain with shows in Madrid and Barcelona, Parker will play for us at Neukölln's tiny but wonderful venue Ida Nowhere, presumably already presenting some of his brand new material. No admission, though donations to help the artist and the venue will be greatly appreciated.
A little earlier, Revolog, a new Austrian start-up that produces special effects films for 35 mm cameras, is gonna start an open photography competition to present its sweet product. From six p.m., admission to participate is 16 Euros (including one film and its development/scanning/printing).
Photo/artwork by Florian ReischauerVelvet Davenport - Warmy Personal Routine
There is something about Fielded, the solo project of Chicago based Lindsay Powell that truly captivates me. First of all Fielded is, as you might hear, mainly focused on the vocals of Powell, spiced up with layers upon layers creating her very own 'backing' vocals, accompanied with simple beats and dark, dizzy synths in the background. Her voice shines up from the otherwise dark scenes with bright, shining beauty, almost a little like our own underwater pop princess Anana from Oslo at times. Following up from her critically acclaimed vinyl release Terrageist (on Catholic Tapes) in 2010, the four-track, limited edition 7 inch White Death is just around the corner, and is due to March 1st on Sophomore Lounge - a release you definitely should not miss.
Fielded - White DeathRead more →
There is something about Fielded, the solo project of Chicago based Lindsay Powell that truly captivates me. First of all Fielded is, as you might hear, mainly focused on the vocals of Powell, spiced up with layers upon layers creating her very own 'backing' vocals, accompanied with simple beats and dark, dizzy synths in the background. Her voice shines up from the otherwise dark scenes with bright, shining beauty, almost a little like our own underwater pop princess Anana from Oslo at times. Following up from her critically acclaimed vinyl release Terrageist (on Catholic Tapes) in 2010, the four-track, limited edition 7 inch White Death is just around the corner, and is due to March 1st on Sophomore Lounge - a release you definitely should not miss.
The biggest and brightest gold nugget from the ever-astonishing Colorado music scene, Matthew Sage's Patient Sounds (Intl), finally came back from the woods (aka college graduation) last Friday with the second installment of the very adorable Patient Sounds Sampler series, once again showcasing the finest new stuff from Fort Collins and around, eleven artists both from the PS roster as well as some friends who were so kind to provide some of their recent works.
Out of the very nice and wonderfully eclectic collection, three tracks should be highlighted as they serve as delicious teasers for forthcoming tapes on Patient Sounds, the hazy, chopped-up sound collage Buried White by Recombinants, the lush and marvelously meandering, sample-heavy aural refuge Stand By by SF resident Mario Baltodano aka Kites Sail High, and finally long standing NFOP favorite M. Pyres who is of course no one else than Sage's very own artistic endeavor. The alternate version of '94 Fractures is a brief instrumental, in fact not much more than a simple beat-driven acoustic guitar study that nonetheless once again reveals Sage's incredible songwriting skills. It is yet to be seen when the new M. Pyres cassette is finally coming out, but this little offering makes sure that every single day we'll be left waiting from now on will be one day too long.
Download the sampler for free over here.
Recombinants - Buried WhiteM. Pyres - '94 Fractures (alt. version)Kites Sail High - Stand ByRead more →
The biggest and brightest gold nugget from the ever-astonishing Colorado music scene, Matthew Sage's Patient Sounds (Intl), finally came back from the woods (aka college graduation) last Friday with the second installment of the very adorable Patient Sounds Sampler series, once again showcasing the finest new stuff from Fort Collins and around, eleven artists both from the PS roster as well as some friends who were so kind to provide some of their recent works.
Out of the very nice and wonderfully eclectic collection, three tracks should be highlighted as they serve as delicious teasers for forthcoming tapes on Patient Sounds, the hazy, chopped-up sound collage Buried White by Recombinants, the lush and marvelously meandering, sample-heavy aural refuge Stand By by SF resident Mario Baltodano aka Kites Sail High, and finally long standing NFOP favorite M. Pyres who is of course no one else than Sage's very own artistic endeavor. The alternate version of '94 Fractures is a brief instrumental, in fact not much more than a simple beat-driven acoustic guitar study that nonetheless once again reveals Sage's incredible songwriting skills. It is yet to be seen when the new M. Pyres cassette is finally coming out, but this little offering makes sure that every single day we'll be left waiting from now on will be one day too long.
Download the sampler for free over here.
Recombinants - Buried WhiteM. Pyres - '94 Fractures (alt. version)Kites Sail High - Stand By
Of all exponents of the reemergence of electronic body music (think Gatekeeper, Games, Night Gallery), the one outfit that hasn't gotten too much attention so far (despite having dropped its No Better EP via your rad label of the moment Hippos In Tanks) is Chicago duo White Car, consisting of Elon Katz and Orion Martin - probably cause they're still living too far away from Brooklyn, who knows. In any case, these guys certainly know their synths just as intimately as their contemporaries (considering the names I've just dropped, of course the Windy City itself appears as the scene's actual nucleus), and before their debut full length gets released this summer, take a listen to this new remix of their EP title track No Better, executed by fellow Chicago resident Hunter Husar of Mahjongg, a terrific, upbeat dark wave rework that certainly hits the right spots. Not exactly your hung over Sunday morning comedown soundtrack, sorry for that.
White Car - No Better (Hunter Husar Remix)Read more →
Of all exponents of the reemergence of electronic body music (think Gatekeeper, Games, Night Gallery), the one outfit that hasn't gotten too much attention so far (despite having dropped its No Better EP via your rad label of the moment Hippos In Tanks) is Chicago duo White Car, consisting of Elon Katz and Orion Martin - probably cause they're still living too far away from Brooklyn, who knows. In any case, these guys certainly know their synths just as intimately as their contemporaries (considering the names I've just dropped, of course the Windy City itself appears as the scene's actual nucleus), and before their debut full length gets released this summer, take a listen to this new remix of their EP title track No Better, executed by fellow Chicago resident Hunter Husar of Mahjongg, a terrific, upbeat dark wave rework that certainly hits the right spots. Not exactly your hung over Sunday morning comedown soundtrack, sorry for that.
White Car - No Better (Hunter Husar Remix)
Great news from Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club alumni Zak Mering (according to his FB profile, and there's obviously no reason for doubt): the terrifyingly prolific dude has just started Gunk TV Records, set up to be the future home for everything we could ever dream of by all endeavors involving himself such as Raw Thrills, Greatest Hits, Vital Caress, or The Sweethearts (really struggling to keep track here), as well as for some projects of his friends (James Ferraro, Sam Mehran) and family (his sister Natalie's Weyes Blood).
Apart from that, a little reminder: Shakedown, Zak's forthcoming, outstanding psych pop effort as Raw Thrills (read about it here), is out in early February and already up for pre-order via Tokyo's Sixteen Tambourines.
Below, enjoy the first two Gunk TV exclusives, a brand new Raw Thrills track, and the, well, subtle yet strangely mesmerizing video for the Sam Mehran/Wingdings II (aka Outer Limits Recordings/Matrix Metals, etc.) tune Maui Wowee Mow Wow, which was released on last year's Zarathustra's Puzzle.
Read more →
Great news from Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club alumni Zak Mering (according to his FB profile, and there's obviously no reason for doubt): the terrifyingly prolific dude has just started Gunk TV Records, set up to be the future home for everything we could ever dream of by all endeavors involving himself such as Raw Thrills, Greatest Hits, Vital Caress, or The Sweethearts (really struggling to keep track here), as well as for some projects of his friends (James Ferraro, Sam Mehran) and family (his sister Natalie's Weyes Blood).
Apart from that, a little reminder: Shakedown, Zak's forthcoming, outstanding psych pop effort as Raw Thrills (read about it here), is out in early February and already up for pre-order via Tokyo's Sixteen Tambourines.
Below, enjoy the first two Gunk TV exclusives, a brand new Raw Thrills track, and the, well, subtle yet strangely mesmerizing video for the Sam Mehran/Wingdings II (aka Outer Limits Recordings/Matrix Metals, etc.) tune Maui Wowee Mow Wow, which was released on last year's Zarathustra's Puzzle.
Our dearest babyboy master of gloomy and twisted R'n'B merging with ambient electronica Lavurn Lee aka Guerre still hasn't released his pretty anticipated Darker My Love EP, but for the time being get lost in this new, wonderfully smooth cut below - Fox Fur Morning is not much more than a subtle acoustic guitar line, some distant sampling, and Lavurn's beautiful, layered and reverbed vocals over a drum pattern that heavily reminisces the glory days of that thing we used to call trip hop, if anyone remembers. This might be less haunted than the stuff Lavurn has released before, but it sure leaves us amazed once again.
Guerre - Fox Fur MorningRead more →
Our dearest babyboy master of gloomy and twisted R'n'B merging with ambient electronica Lavurn Lee aka Guerre still hasn't released his pretty anticipated Darker My Love EP, but for the time being get lost in this new, wonderfully smooth cut below - Fox Fur Morning is not much more than a subtle acoustic guitar line, some distant sampling, and Lavurn's beautiful, layered and reverbed vocals over a drum pattern that heavily reminisces the glory days of that thing we used to call trip hop, if anyone remembers. This might be less haunted than the stuff Lavurn has released before, but it sure leaves us amazed once again.
Guerre - Fox Fur Morning
The four-piece The Avalance from Trondheim, Norway is a relatively new name within the Norwegian music scene, but has already managed to whip together quite a few honorable mentions on Norwegian music sites and blogs. The Avalance creates dizzy, humid shoegaze with a hint of noise rock, which reminds me a lot of the likes of Serena-Maneesh or the dreamier tunes of A Sunny Day In Glasgow. In a way, you can call shoegaze and noise rock a missing genre in the music scene here, with only a few bands like Dråpe and Je Suis Animal that comes to mind when I think of it. Now that The Avalance have so elegantly emerged up from the deep, blue ocean of Urørt, I am very much excited to see (and hear) what they're planning for their first release.
Free download via Urørt.
The Avalanche - Come CloserThe Avalanche - Throw Away The RestRead more →
The four-piece The Avalance from Trondheim, Norway is a relatively new name within the Norwegian music scene, but has already managed to whip together quite a few honorable mentions on Norwegian music sites and blogs. The Avalance creates dizzy, humid shoegaze with a hint of noise rock, which reminds me a lot of the likes of Serena-Maneesh or the dreamier tunes of A Sunny Day In Glasgow. In a way, you can call shoegaze and noise rock a missing genre in the music scene here, with only a few bands like Dråpe and Je Suis Animal that comes to mind when I think of it. Now that The Avalance have so elegantly emerged up from the deep, blue ocean of Urørt, I am very much excited to see (and hear) what they're planning for their first release.
Free download via Urørt.
The Avalanche - Come CloserThe Avalanche - Throw Away The Rest
After releasing his critically acclaimed (and shortlisted) LP Warmy Girls on Moon Glyph last November, Velvet Davenport's Parker Sprout decided to spend the winter months in Berlin - which might even make some sense if you hail from Minneapolis, Minnesota - to play some shows around Europe and record new songs for an upcoming, as yet unnamed album.
This Saturday, having just returned from a short trip to Spain with shows in Madrid and Barcelona, Parker will play for us at Neukölln's tiny but wonderful venue Ida Nowhere, presumably already presenting some of his brand new material. No admission, though donations to help the artist and the venue will be greatly appreciated.
A little earlier, Revolog, a new Austrian start-up that produces special effects films for 35 mm cameras, is gonna start an open photography competition to present its sweet product. From six p.m., admission to participate is 16 Euros (including one film and its development/scanning/printing).
Photo/artwork by Florian Reischauer
Velvet Davenport - Warmy Personal Routine
Read more →
The four-piece