Tuesday, June 30, 2009

EIC'S10Q'S w/Sunken Foal

"Modern, but not too modern, innovative (definitely innovative), warm, integral, organic and down right remarkable.."


Sunken Foal
Contempo-Folk Techie

Sunken Foal Bio:
Sunken Foal a.k.a. Dunk Murphy released his debut album "Fallen Arches" on Planet-Mu Records along with an E.P. titled "Fermented Condiments". He has been making both electronic and acoustic music for over ten years as part of projects such as Ambulance and The Natural History Museum. His music consists of intensely evocative guitar-based electronics, with piano, strings and occasional vocals which build up and then collapse under the weight of digital rhythms that twist and turn at every juncture. His live shows incorporate gently processed guitars, manually triggered heavy distorted rhythms and dense melodic soundscapes with each show as unique as the next.
Like Plaid, he weaves in some atonal melodies but he does it in such a way that it retains its warmth, something which can be lost with seemingly aimless sounds. Instead he adorns his tracks with oriental tones and echoing vocals played out as hollow twinkles on a music box. His music is for fans of the more acoustic side of electronic music. Sunken Foal shares his affinity for unusual instrumentation with artists like Colleen, while his take on the electronic side veers more towards the more expressive sound of Chris Clark.


Hello, how are you?
Recently been a bit ill - hadn't been ill in ages so it was on the cards - lots of homemade soup and i'm back on the mend - but i have been having these strange dreams....

What are you currently listening to?
I got "Ambient 3 The Day Of Radiance" by Eno the other day - its like it was made for me personally - some Milanese (Planet-Mu) is fantastic for hangovers i find - the new Grizzly Bear hasn't caught me the way i'd hoped as yet - "154" by Wire - i keep watching DAF's "Liebe Auf Den Ersten Blick" on you tube - its strangely hipnotic - "Champagne Body" by General Levy is really grabbing my happy these days - however, right this minute i'm currently listening to this kid down the road who has a really annoying little motorbike that he shunts about his back garden and i want to smash his face in

Who were your main influences growing up?
Musically yeah? my brothers, my piano teacher was really supportive, my mates - my brothers got me really into Siousxie And The Banshees and english indie music in the eighties - through my mates i got into Sonic Youth and Fugazi as a teenager and then electronic stuff like The Orb, Carl Craig and Autechre - i remember loving Yazoo and Kraftwerk when i was really young and asking for a casio keyboard for christmas - otherwise i was influenced by Neil Buchanan and Tony Heart

What’s with the band name?
I was djing on the radio and had to read out some ads for a funk'n'soul club - i got it wrong - how my friends laughed...

When can we expect the next Sunken Foal release?
Just finished a load of stuff - whenever Mike P can put it out i suppose (if he likes it) - this year i'm sure

Will it sound like “Fallen Arches” or do you plan on changing your sound up a bit?
I dunno - that's up to you really - i'm always approaching things differently on every tune but when its all mixed together in a pot there may be a similar style or character that overrides the component parts - i've been playing with software and analogue synths a lot while recording over the last few months but i've also been writing lots of ditties on banjos and guitars at night which will get recorded at some stage - i'm trying to either be a little more 4/4 or do stuff where i throw time signature out the window so to speak

Are a lot of you sounds computer based or..?
The individual sounds tend to be a mixture of acoustic/electric instruments and synthesizers - then they get put into the computer to be manipulated and arranged

Do you have any side projects you would like to share with us?
I recorded a huge amount of work with singer/songwriter Carol Keogh under the name "The Natural History Museum" - we've kinda been at opposite ends of the country for the last while and i'd love to get back to working on that stuff - its such a different way of working and really rewarding - myself and Trev (Ambulance) were talking the other day about writing some new tracks together soon (we've been threatening this for ages)
http://www.myspace.com/naturalhistorymuseum
http://www.myspace.com/dunkntrev


You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?
"4′33″" by John Cage - i dunno - i don't think i have the ability to reach into my brain and pull an honest answer out for that one - i asked my mate rod the other day what meal would he live on for the rest of his life if condemned to (provided it magically contained all vital nutrients) - he said really hi quality bread and oil - this is so much smarter than my choice: breast milk

Are you living your dream?
Not at all - i've very little money - i'd like to go on a holiday to St. Petersburg and live it up with the mafia but its not likely - working on Sunken Foal music all the time is great - but i've interests in other artistic areas too (musical and otherwise) and i'd like spend more time at them


Thanx Dunk!

Sunken Foal is currently working on the follow up to "Fallen Arches", look for that in the near future..

Get FREE stuff when you preorder the NEW Cyne album!

From Cyne:

"WATER FOR MARS"
[available now!]
Limited 21-track compact disc + download + t-shirt + sticker

AVAILABLE NOW FOR PRE-ORDER, THE "WATER FOR MARS" PACKAGE INCLUDES:

- The CYNE "Water For Mars" t-shirt, featuring art by Cody Hudson/Struggle Inc.
- The CYNE "Water For Mars" limited edition CD.
- The new CYNE sticker, featuring art by Cody Hudson/Struggle Inc
- An early download of "Water For Mars" in its entirety.

When you place your order, we'll reply with a code for you to download the album, 2 weeks before it's official iTunes-exclusive digital release! The t-shirt and CD will ship at the end of July. You'll be notified when yours is on its way!

Joining CYNE on "Water For Mars" are track collaborators Daedelus and Ape School, as well as remixers ROM (featuring Roberto Lange/Helado Negro), Mexicans With Guns, and the fan remix contest winner Jay Appleseed.

Thank you for all of the support!
PEACE.

Peace be with you Cyne, peace be with you..

Monday, June 29, 2009

Finally...NEW Mi' And Lau album..

Remember them?

Mira Anita Mathilda Romantschuk is an ethereal looking Finnish girl who sings like an elf, with a sharpened, chilly voice. She used to work as a model in Paris when she met Laurent Leclère, the composer and guitar player to whom Devendra Banhart dedicated “Gentle Soul”.

Laurent had composed music for some films, and was plenty of inspiration, but he still had not been able to channel it. When he met Mi he found his own intense and indescribable musical language, as indescribable as the fire crackle or a January blizzard. The combination was perfect: “Imagine a glacier with ember inside”, Michael Gira said when he produced their first work with Young God Records.

Mi & L’Au stayed for a while in Paris until they decided to get lost in nature and lock themselves with their guitars in a hut, surrounded by snow, in the lost boreal moors. Cold, loneliness and music inspired such sonorities that the castrating marketing labels can´t define, as many other times when it comes to real creators.

L’Au declares that his roots are in the European classical music which is true in comparison to all Northamerican pop, rock and jazz, but don´t expect an expert display or academic formalism from Mi & L’Au, but soul, strength and feelings. Such strong feelings expressed with so much harshness that can even make you feel pain while listening to the duo.

They’ve been 4 years around the World, visiting any place where people were well-disposed towards their tender, queer and ghostly music. They’ve finally landed in the Mediterranean. Valencia, the hyper-cheerful and comfortable capital of the Spanish East coast, is their home now and it’s been there where Mi and L’Au have recorded their new work, “Good Morning Jokers”. Don´t you think that because they’re in the bright flower’s land, their work lacks melancholy and darkness of their characteristic sound.

Mistery and intelligence, tenderness and fear, beauty and misery combine in a disturbing and queer potion that is listened with pleasure, but at the same time makes the listener become uneasy, finding that suddenly is hidden away in somebody else’s world, filled with an irresistible and unlikely beauty and ambiguous as sirens songs and fairies tears.

“Good Morning Jokers” is a deep and demanding new musical experience that won’t leave anybody indifferent.

Tracks:
1. Up in the Building
2. The Pearl
3. Bingo
4. They’re coming
5. Transparent
6. The Bird
7. Dancing and Smiling
8. Vampire
9. Ten Kingdoms
10. Spartan Dance
11. Sun
12. Dance on my skin
13. Clown
14. Wave Goodbye

Just ordered my copy...., seriously check out their debut album it is one of the most gorgeous ambient folk albums I've ever heard.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Cool Video Funtime #51 - Pate Filo

Lusine - Two Dots

7.5 out of 10

It's been 5 years since Lusine's amazing release "Serial Hodgepodge", Jeff Mcilwain (Lusine) hasn't just been sitting around though. He's released a remix companion to "Serial Hodgepodge" titled "Podgelisms" and he also returned to his ambient er, ummm, side project called Lusine Icl. "Two Dots", however, marks his return to Ghostly and IDM-Ambient music, this time with a few new sounds.

"Two Dots" is the first single off of the upcoming "A Certain Distance". "Two Dots" signifies one of two things; 1. A standout "dance-pop" song served on a plate of delicious IDM sexuality or 2. A shift in sound directions from "Serial Hodgepodge" with newly added elements of vocals and pop music structures. Either way, I am extremely pleased with this single, although it is a little more "poppier" than older Lusine material it still has that sensuality and intellect that has always been there. Thumpy kicks, quiet snares, ringing arpeggiation, airy synths, wobbly bass lines, and Vilja Larjosta's relaxing vocal samples make up for one terrific new song ala Lusine style.

I can't wait for the new Lusine release, I'm highly intrigued by Jeff Mcilwain's slightly new direction. RECOMMENDED. Stream the song HERE.

Standout Tracks: All of them are great, but the original is of course the best.

Free Sinner DC mixtape..

~njoy.

REVIEW: The Binary Marketing Show - Pattern

7.75 out of 10

"Pattern" is The Binary Marketing Show's third full length album. "Pattern" is the only BMS release I have (so far), but I do feel comfortable enough saying it will definitely not be the only. The Binary Marketing Show sound A LOT like Animal Collective, with a great mix of "campfire music", experimental electronics, and much like AC their own eclectic version of "Tribalistic Folk-Art".

The vocals are somewhat reminiscent of an Our Brother The Native/David Byrne/Tim DeLaughter (Tripping Daisy/Polyphonic Spree)/AC mash up. Seen as Animal Collective have gone through so many transformations the best "AC era" that I could compare "Patterns" to would be "Strawberry Jam" mixed with "Sung Tongs". "Patterns" is more on the "..Jam" side, but a good mixture of calming abstract folk-art with modern sounding electronics layered upon crescendos of terrific noises and bewilderment. I hate to compare a band to other bands so much, it's not to say BMS don't have their own unique handle on "campfire music", because they do, I just know that if you like any of the bands mentioned above you will indeed love this band.

If you like Animal Collective you must own this. If you dislike AC (why?) I still recommend checking into this release as there are a plethora of quality sound experimentations with whimsical glee and youthful curiosities that should be heard at least once (if not more). Recommended.

Standout Tracks: Shape Of Your Head, Tesseract, La Boheme, White Template, Fear, 628 Hz, ..really, the whole album flows seamlessly from beginning to end.

Happy Birthday Agaetis Byrjun...

From Sigur Ros:

To mark the 10th anniversary of the Icelandic release of their breakthrough album "Agaetis Byrjun", Sigur Ros have made available two exclusive live performances from the original launch party concert at the Icelandic Opera House on the night of June 10, 1999 - back when few people outside Reykjavik hadn't the foggiest clue who they were.



"Nyja Lagid" video - filmed originally for Icelandic TV and unseen for years, this shows the boys when they really were still boys, performing a song that never made it onto "Agaetis Byrjun" (or any subsequent album) and disappeared from their set-list shortly after this date. The film also records the last show by original drummer Gusti. The audio of this live recording was featured on Sigur Ros's first ex-Iceland release, the "Svefn-G-Englar" EP.

Download "Hafssol" HERE.

"Hafssol" audio - a fascinatingly transitional rendition of the seminal "Hafssol" (later "Hafsol"), which has been one of the true survivors in the band's live show, having appeared in almost unrecognisably nebulous form on their debut album "Von", and then gone through endless transmogrification year by year until its arrival on 2007's "Hvarf/Heim" double pack. (If you follow the link above you can sign up to download the song.)

Hope you enjoy them both. They'll be further celebrations to mark the 10th anniversary of the release of "Agaetis Byrjun" outside Iceland in due course, but we will of course let you know.


I know.., you're probably pretty sad about a FREE Sigur Ros track, sorry to have ruined your day..

Friday, June 26, 2009

Cool Video Funtime #50 - Pinion

Get a FREE/NEW Air MP3..

When you sign up for their newsletter...awesome.
(yup, that's the cover for their next cd, which comes out 10/06/09 via Astralwerks)

Pre-order the NEW Cold Cave full length and get FREE MP3's..

Insound LP+MP3! Purchase the vinyl format of "Love Comes Close" and they'll e-mail you a link to download the MP3s for free on the 7/14 release date!

From Insound:

Love Comes Close is the debut full-length from Cold Cave. After releasing singles on Hospital Productions, What's Your Rupture?, and Dais Records, as well as a compilation of early material (Cremations, Hospital Productions), Cold Cave is now releasing their first realized vision of modern pop music through their own publishing house, Heartworm Press. Balance is one of Cold Cave's most dominant features, laced with equal parts of romance and nihilism. Somewhere in the realms of negative hiss and out-of-body bliss, there is a peak awaiting all who enter. Wesley Elsold is joined by an orbiting line-up that includes fellow allies Caralee McElroy (of the experimental indie phenomenon Xiu Xiu), Dominick Fernow (contemporary noise icon Prurient) Max G. Morton (celebrated author) and J. Benoit. Cold Cave is a force that has been compared to Erasure and Whitehouse, one that just does what it does, without forcing unnatural laws. They are a true rarity in this instamatic culture.


So excited for this release...

I thought this was kind of cool..


I like his choices...
Click on image to enlarge text.

I thought this was kind of cool...

Click on image to enlarge text.

I would agree with him on most of these choices..

Thursday, June 25, 2009

R.I.P. Michael Jackson

R.I.P. Michael Jackson
1958-2009

According to tabloid site TMZ.com & The LA Times MJ is dead.
According to CNN.com he is in the hospital...


UPDATE:
LOS ANGELES – A person with knowledge of the situation says Michael Jackson has died in Los Angeles. The person, who was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity, says the King of Pop died at age 50 in a Los Angeles hospital. ~Associated Press


This is sort of surreal..


Before I forget..here's a FREE Spectral compilation

It's pretty good, it has strong/catchy electronic songs throughout, I recommend it, and IT'S FREE!
All you have to do is sign up for a free Beatport account, which is totally worth it if you're into downloading great underground Electronic music...

Thnx Beatport/Spectral

REVIEW: Zola Jesus - Tsar Bomba

6.75 out of 10

Zola Jesus is the art of one woman named Nika. Her music was created to not only evoke apocalyptic themes but to battle our depressing future. She has over a decade of operatic study under her wings and is also inspired by Pop music, Classical Arias, No-Wave and old school Punk-Rock. The end result is a truly unique din, and although it would fit perfectly among the growing trend of Lo-Fi bands that are emerging, ZJ will surely be one of the standout bands from the new Lo-Fi era.

Assuming you're ok with orchestrated/organized noise, drones, super Lo-Fi recordings, Industrial soundscapes, and female vocals with a "punch" Zola Jesus will be a perfect fit for your ears. "Tsar Bomba" starts off with a loud, somewhat obnoxious (in a good way) crunchy noise followed by Nika's somewhat angry sounding, yet laid back vocals. On "Last Day" Nika utilizes her voice perfectly on top of a catchy/melodic sounding accordion and a drum machine loop that reminds me of SPK's early Industrial sounds. Their are really only a few tracks where you can hear her poppy side ("Sea Talk") coming through more, but for the most part the rest of the record maintains it's over-experimental sound with distorted vocals and simple recording effects.

Overall "Tsar Bomba" is an interesting peak into Zola Jesus' soon to be massive underground/Lo-Fi career. I wouldn't be surprised if at least 10 or more bands try to rip off her sound during the next year or so. Not for everybody, but definitely for fans of Experimental Lo-Fi Industrial sounds.

Standout Tracks: Last Day, Th'aria, Sea Talk (damn fine song), Past The Blue Brick Stone

Jóhann Jóhannsson Tour Dates + Limited Edition CD..

Jóhann Jóhannsson is touring the US east coast this month for the first time, and to celebrate, a special CD will be released of Jóhann´s award-winning score for Marc Craste´s acclaimed animated film "Varmints". The CD, “And In The Endless Pause, There Came The Sound Of Bees”, is released in a limited edition of 1000 copies and will only be available for sale on the tour.

The concert dates are as follows:

25th June, Le Poisson Rouge, Wordless Music, New York, USA
26th June, Cambridge YMCA Theatre, Boston, USA
27th June, St. Mary's Hamilton Village, Philadelphia, USA
28th June, Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, USA
29th June, Lakeshore Theatre, Chicago USA
30th June, Southern Theatre, Minneapolis, USA

Jóhann’s ensemble on this tour will include:
Keats Dieffenbach, Caleb Burhans: Violin
Nadia Sirota: Viola
Clarice Jensen: Cello
Matthías Hemstock: Percussion, electronics
Jóhann Jóhannsson: Piano, organ, electronics

Jóhann will also play some selected dates in Europe this summer. This includes a rare outdoor performance in Kortrijk, Belgium, with the Kortrijk Symphony Orchestra on the 11th of July. The concert will be at dawn, so expect an amazing natural light show accompanying the music.

Another special show will be in Durham, England:
In anticipation of a major new collaboration for 2010 inspired by the mining culture of North East England, Jóhann Jóhannsson and American experimental filmmaker Bill Morrison present a special performance of their established works at Durham’s Gala Theatre on 14 July 2009. Part of BRASS: Durham International Festival 2009, a screening of Morrison’s Decasia: The State of Decay and his short film Light is Calling is followed by Jóhann Jóhannsson’s special new arrangements of his works performed by his ensemble of strings, piano, percussion and electronics, and some of the region’s finest brass players, conducted by Icelandic conductor and clarinetist Gudni Franzson.

Here´s a list of upcoming European dates:

5th July, Cortile del Castello Estense, Ferrara, Italy
11th July, Festival Congé, Kortrijk, Belgium – dawn concert with Kortrijk Symphony Orchestra
14th July, Durham, England, Durham Brass Festival - with brass band
20th October, Unsound Festival, Krakow, Poland
31st October, Music in Mind. Brugge, Belgium

Jóhann´s ensemble for the European dates includes:
Ivo Stankov, James Underwood: Violins
Emma Owens: Viola
Charlotte Maguirita Rook: Cello
Matthias Hemstock: Percussion and electronics
Jóhann Jóhannsson: Piano, organ and electronics
Visuals: Magnús Helgason

I wish I could make it to one of these shows, as it should be quite beautiful..

Introducing...

Blindfold
Cinepop Records..

Blindfold are four London based Icelanders who produce some of the most beautiful music being made today.While it’s easy to see the influence of Ulrich Schnauss and fellow Icelanders Sigur Ros, Blindfold bring a completely fresh feel to their music, passionately exploring new sounds, textures and emotions to produce a stunningly powerful sound, their debut self titled album was brilliantly received by critics and those in the know and their forthcoming follow up Faking Dreams looks set to bring the band the recognition they so richly deserve.But it’s their mesmerising live shows that really pin the band down as being something extraordinary and this is one show not to be missed as Bestival continue to bring you the best in new music from across the globe, trust us, you’ll thank us when you discover the quite brilliant Blindfold. BESTIVAL 2009

With incredibly synch friendly music and already spiralling success with Film/Ads and TV placements on both sides of the pond Blindfold are ones to watch.
Vision Media 2009

Review by Paul Joyce.
Blindfold at The Roundhouse. London July 11th 2008:
....But at the mid-point of this short and sweet show their sound changed dramatically the formula was ditched or was totally macerated, leaving intense guitar, furious drumming and complex, innovative tunes letting loose the talent these guys really have. Instrumental piece Wait came over especially well. Their tight song writing, smouldering guitars and high energy reached its climax with rock-lullaby "Sleepless Nights", the show stopper, and the best of their work I have heard.
'Mesmerising' - WIRE Magazine 'Haunting & Compelling' - Spoonfed Media

'Gorgeously Textured Songs' - Radio Capitol Roma

New Album "FAKING DREAMS" released JUNE 1st on CinePop Records

I would put these guys somewhere between Coldplay, Syd Matters, and the atmospheric qualities of Sigur Ros..check em' out

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Cool Video Funtime #49 - What Did He Say

If only I lived here..

Lucky bastards..

(Another) FREE Patrick Wolf song....

It's the Patrick Wolf Single "Who Will" remixed by Buffetlibre.
Pretty catchy actually..
Thnx. BBQCR

2 albums I heard about today that interest me..

&
Can't wait..

Want a Free Genghis Tron song?

k.

NEW Limited Edition Psychic Powers vinyl..

From Psychic Powers (members of Languis & Over The Atlantic):

We are very happy to announce that the "Wellington" single just came out!!!

Geographic North did a great job with the artwork.

The single is part of the "You Can't Hide Your Love Forever" series the label is releasing. It's a 7" pink vinyl record, with "Wellington" on the A side, and "Foreign Photograph" on the B side.

To order a copy, you can go to the Geographic North website

Also, it seems like Thrill Jockey is going to be distributing it, so check your local shop. Remember, this is a 300 limited edition, copies are going to be gone soon soon soon.

Haven't heard Psychic Powers? Here ya go;)

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

EIC'S10Q'S w/Telepathe

Remember this formula? "Fun + Danceable + Laid Back + Avant Garde Electronics + "Breezy" Female Vocals = Good times for your ears", here are the inventors...


Telepathe
Electro-Thrum-Poppers

Telepathe Bio:
Moving from improvisational drones to experimental, danceable pop in just a few releases, Telepathe are the project of Busy Gangnes and Melissa Livaudais and a rotating cast of supporting musicians. Songwriter/percussionist/dancer Gangnes, formerly of Wikkid, worked with Young People's Katie Eastburn on the Starter Set dance project and is also a yoga instructor; multi-instrumentalist Livaudais was also in Wikkid and First Nation, which became Rings when she left the band to focus on Telepathe. The band formed in 2004 with Ex Models' Shahin Motia, but the lineup featured Allie Alvarado by the time of 2006's "Farewell Forest" EP, which focused on the band's more expansive, chaotic side. Released in 2007, the Sinister Militia single found Telepathe delving into more dance-like beats, thanks to remixes by !!!'s Tyler Pope and the Soft Pink Truth. Mirror Mirror's Ryan Lucero became the band's third core member and the trio recorded its first full-length with producer Dave Sitek. The results, "Dance Mother", arrived in 2009.


Hello, how are you?
Hi. Sup? We’re tired from surfing all day.

What are you currently listening to?
Nite Jewel and Culture Club and "Careless Whisper" by Wham!

Who were your main influences when it came to creating Telepathe’s signature sound?
Cash Money Records and Mannie Fresh. John Carpenter. Too many to name…

Are you happiest with the latest direction of the band? Or do you miss the glory days of discovering yourselves?
I don’t miss the glory days of discovering myself because I always felt like what I was doing was concise and had direction and it just keeps getting more fun as it goes on.

Do you have a “dream” venue you would like to play?
Somewhere on the beach. Or in Brazil on the beach.

Will there ever be a Telepathe/Rings tour?
NO WAY

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?
Loveless by My Bloody Valentine

The saddest day in music history will be when..?
When people care about the Smashing Pumpkins again.

Are you living your dream?
Yes.

Thanx Telepathe!

Telepathe are currently in the middle of a LARGE tour, check their Myspace for all of the dates...

Cool Video Funtime #48 - Mending Spear Part II

The NEW A Sunny Day In Glasgow album!

From ASDIG:

Hi Everyone,

Wanted to let you know that the release date for our new record, "Ashes Grammar", has been announced and that date is September 15. It will be available on CD, download, and a VERY limited edition 2xLP on colored vinyl (a different color for each LP too).

You can check out the tracklists and artwork HERE.

A pre-order should be up sometime in mid-July.

xoxo!
asdig

I'm pretty sure this day couldn't get any better...

If only I lived here..

What an awesome sounding show..

At long last!!!!!!

THE NEW LUSINE ALBUM!

From Ghostly:

For years, Jeff McIlwain has been recording music as Lusine that expertly straddles the electronic/pop divide; with "A Certain Distance", McIlwain cracks open his productions to reveal the beauty lurking within. "A Certain Distance" sees McIlwain employing human vocals and pop structures, hooks and melodies in the service of something warmer and more welcoming than the Lusine of old. Mapping human emotions via technology may be an insurmountable task, but "A Certain Distance" brings McIlwain closer than most to achieving the impossible.

McIlwain has been gradually building his Lusine persona from the jagged majesty of 2005’s Ghostly debut "Serial Hodgepodge" through the drifting atmospheres of 2007’s "Language Barrier (on Hymen Records)". Now, with "A Certain Distance", Lusine has finally arrived, synthesizing decades of electronic music both popular and experimental into a sophisticated, catchy, and danceable sound unlike anything else. Lassoing bits of downtempo and ambient, pop melodies and leftfield noise, and a smattering of techno and house both minimal and maximal, "A Certain Distance" is ultimately a work of singular beauty by an artist in full command of his craft.

Each track on "A Certain Distance" is a world unto itself, as McIlwain’s careful touch lends the album a depth that goes on for days. “Two Dots,” the album’s lush first single, features vocals by Vilja Larjosto sliced up into a slinky, paranoid downtempo number; “Baffle” creeps like a well-dressed stalker as slivers of clean-toned guitar dance around a static-y beat; “Every Disguise” and “Crowded Room” are the record’s most dancefloor-friendly tracks, the former trafficking in jaunty, humid funk, and the latter grafting Detroit-style chords onto airy, weightless rhythm that seems to hover inches above the ground.

On "A Certain Distance", Jeff McIlwain dives deep into his technological array and comes up with something breathtakingly complex and, yes, emotional. The record unfolds like electronic-pop fractal—each detail, upon closer examination, reveals a lovingly constructed world of details within details, multiplying and dividing, extending into infinity.

I've been waiting for this.............

FREE Mike Weis(Zelienople) Mix..

From Type:

“Beyond The Backbeat” by Zelienople
Zelienople drummer Mike Weis takes us on a journey through the world of percussion
.

A mammoth all-percussion mix from Zelienople drummer Mike Weis. Now that might not sound enticing, but reserve judgment until you’ve trawled through the pummeling, piercing and at times ear-crumbling sounds within. Truly epic!

1. Jon Mueller – Trace Essential (from ‘Metals’, drummer – Jon Mueller)
2. Alexander Von Schlippenbach Trio – Kleine Nülle, Evergreen (from ‘Pakistani Pomade’, drummer – Paul Lovens)
3. AMM – Vandoevre (from ‘Ambient 4: Isolationism’, drummer – Eddie Prevost)
4. Galbraith/Neilson/Youngs – Samian (from ‘Beslayer Time’, drummer – Alex Neilson)
5. Fire Room – Broken Music (from ‘Broken Music’, drummer – Paal Nilsson-Love)
6. Organum – Aurora (from ‘Sphyx’, drummer – Eddie Prevost)
7. Ravi Shankar – Madness (from ‘Transmigration Macabre’, drummer unknown)
8. Sun Ra – Adventure-Equation (from ‘Cosmic Tones For Mental Therapy’, drummers – John Gilmore, Marshall Allen)
9. Art Ensemble of Chicago – Thème de l’Amour Universel (from ’Les Stances a Sophie’, drummer – Don Moye)
10. Eyeless In Gaza – Lies Of Love (from ‘Pale Hands I Loved So Well’, drummers – Martyn Bates, Peter Becker)
11. Eno/Wobble – Spinner (from ‘Spinner’, drummer – Jaki Liebezeit)
12. David Byrne – Cloud Chamber (from ‘The Catherine Wheel’, drummer unknown)
13. Javanese Court Gamelan – Bubaran (from ‘Pura Paku Alaman, Jogyakarta’, drummer unknown)
14. Bachir Attar – Ceremonies Against the Night of the Devil (from ‘The Next Dream’, drummer – Aiyb Dieng)
15. Aka Pygmies – Zoboko (from ‘African Rhythms’, drummers – Aka Pygmies)
16. Jon Hassell – Darbari Extension ii (from ‘Aka Darbari Java [Magic Realism]’, drummer – Abdou Mboup)
17. Zoviet France – Al ‘Ud (from ’Loh Land’, drummer unknown)
18. Angus Maclise – Trance #2 (from ‘The Cloud Doctrine’, drummer – Angus Maclise)
19. Peter Gabriel – Sandstorm (from ‘Passion: The Last Temptation of Christ’, various Moroccan Drummers)
20. Various Kenyan Musicians – Coconut Pickers Song (from ‘East Africa Witchcraft & Ritual Music’, drummer unknown)
21. Gnawa Music Of Marrakesh – Baba L’Rouami (from ‘Night Spirit Masters’, drummer unknown)
22. Keith Hudson – Hunting (from ‘Flesh of My Skin Blood of My Blood’, drummers – Santa Davis / Emeka Edozie)
23. Sonny Sharrock – Black Woman (from ‘Black Woman’, drummer – Sunny Murray)



F#@kn' awesome!

Buy Michael Gira's Artwork

From Michael Gira:

Hello There,

I have just recently, with much hacking and spitting and love, completed a set of 20 drawings over the last 6 months. The collection is called "I Am Not Insane" which is of course, a lie. They are displayed below. I’ve had them printed up at the esteemed Stumptown Printers in Portland, Oregon. Stumptown is a fine, Small Press, and they use 100% recycled paper and vegetable based inks. These prints are NOT laser copied or photocopied – they’re “old school” offset prints. The paper we’ve used has “weight” – ie not cheap, flimsy copy paper. The cover/folio is 18 pt. chipboard, and the drawings themselves are printed on white 8 ½ x 11 inch paper (same size as the paper I did the original drawings on), 80 LB cover weight stock.. I am hand-assembling, packing up and shipping out these folios myself here at home. I sign and number each one on the back. This is a first edition of 500...Help and technical expertise in bringing the drawings to a state ready for printing was provided by the fine gentleman David Perry of Kingston, NY. Thanks to him here for his patience and diligence.

As with my songs, I have no idea where these drawings came from. Usually, I stare at a page and wait for something to appear – either a short phrase or an image. I then begin fleshing it out, and it transforms itself along the way. In any event, familiar subjects appear – abjection, cosmic fury and dismay, addiction, love, bliss, hope, and naturally a good bit of a perpetually adolescent fascination with gross, icky things – and in this case the work was modeled with an unsteady and crude hand wielding a Sharpie on a blank white 8 ½ X 11 imaginary Ouija Board. The original drawings were done on cheap copy paper, blotched liberally and repeatedly with Whiteout, drawn over, cut up and pieced back together with clear packing tape etc. So, the final printed, more graphically clear version on nice paper is higher in quality than the drawings themselves, in the end. Anyway, maybe there’s something in them you’ll find useful for your own purposes.

Michael Gira / June 2009

Sweet, ..can you offer us some new Swans material now??

Check into Fool's Gold..

LOS ANGELES COLLECTIVE, FOOL'S GOLD, SET TO RELEASE SELF-TITLED DEBUT ALBUM ON SEPTEMBER 29TH ON IAMSOUND

Listen to/download Fool's Gold's "Surprise Hotel" HERE.

Their sound, rustic tropical rhythms that have been grown, harvested, dried, ground, and mixed with Luke Top's vocals, fried every molecule in the room." -- Los Angeles Times Magazine

“…who else is weaving cantorial yearning through the tuneful electricity of Afro-Islamic jangle and the tribal antics of Adam & the Ants?” -- L.A. Weekly

Fool’s Gold is a Los Angeles collective that weaves together western pop aesthetics with African rhythms and melodies. The group started as a side project of two young LA musicians, vocalist/bassist Luke Top and lead guitarist Lewis Pesacov, who set out to explore their shared love of various forms of African music (specifically Congolese, Ethiopian, Eritrean and Malian), Krautrock, and 80s dance influenced pop music. Lewis, although raised on reggae and world music, holds a degree in classical music theory and composition. He studied underneath American avant-garde expatriate composers Mark Randall-Osborn and Frank Cox in Berlin and has had pieces performed in halls throughout Europe. Luke, who was born in Israel (his mother is from Iraq/father from Russia) and was moved to Los Angeles at the age of three, instinctively alternates verses between Hebrew and English, thus personalizing the songs and allowing a unique interplay between his deceptively simple soul melodies and a propulsive rhythmic backdrop. At first listen, it might be tempting to label Fool’s Gold as “world music,” but the band is, in its essence, a Los Angeles band; it is music made for hot nights in a sweltering desert. The multi-cultural group of players was born from a city that is a melting pot of neighborhoods and cultures.

Not too long after their communal beginnings of writing a few inspired songs and asking friends, friends of friends and even strangers to join them on stage, Fool’s Gold developed organically into a full-time band. Although some of them met for the first time on stage, they soon became an air-tight collective. The cast of characters includes Garrett Ray (of Foreign Born) on drums, Jimmy Vincent and Matt Popieluch (of Foreign Born) on guitar, Amir Kenan (childhood friend of Luke's from Israel) sings backup vocals and plays keys, Brad Caulkins and Mark Noseworthy on saxophones/flute, and on percussion: Orpheo McCord (who studied percussion in Ghana as well as moonlighted as drummer for The Fall), Brazilian/Mexican visual artist Salvador Placencia, Argentinean pop star Erica Garcia, Michael Tapper (ex-drummer of We Are Scientists), all of whom play a beautiful array of hand-made instruments including: Ewe, Gungon and Djembe skinned drums; Gankogui, Bananna bells and claves; Kashishi, nut-rattles, goat-toe rattles, Chekeres, Axatse shell gourds and an over-sized tambourine Mizhar bought on the street in Cairo, Egypt.

The songs for the forthcoming self-titled album were mostly recorded live over a two-day session at the Sunset Lodge recording studio in Los Angeles in 2008, to be later completed in closets and apartment living rooms in 2009. Lewis and Luke collaborated on the music, written over a three-year span. Luke would then weave in the Hebrew/English lyrics. The Hebrew initially tied him to a birthplace that he barely knew, but evolved to be the perfect vehicle to express the overarching themes of duality that are the heart of the songs. Leaving a land with a rich and tumultuous history for one that is constantly forgetting and reinventing laid a personal foundation for Luke’s lyrics, which often explore the tension between ones personal identity and the outside world. The songs resonate beyond just the immigrant experience to one that is understood by anyone who has struggled with dispelling illusions of the ego and the world. Although the melodies are jubilant, the irreverent and whimsical lyrics belie the tension of one exploring the existential and physical self.

Fool’s Gold has shared bills with artists as diverse as Cat Power, Fujiya & Miyagi and the Senegalese kora master Youssoupha Sidibe. They headlined the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles and the Getty Center. They were recently profiled on the French music television program “Tracks” as well as featured in the Los Angeles Times Magazine. On September 29th they will release their debut record on IAMSOUND Records.

Fool's Gold Tracklisting:

1. Surprise Hotel
2. Nadine
3. Ha Dvash
4. The World Is All There Is
5. Poseidon
6. Yam Lo Moshech
7. Night Dancing
8. Momentary Shelter

C'mon, its free.. AND catchy.

Cool Video Funtime #47 - Frakkur

Introducing...

Verney 1826
Shinto Records newest signing..

From Shinto:

In its earliest form, the German project Verney 1826 can be dated back to the year 1991. Influenced from the beginning by classical music, the gothic tales of Mrs Shelley and the beauty of long forgotten times, Verney 1826 still follows its vision to create sad musical landscapes.

The project uses stylistic elements from gothic ambient, folk noir or haunting dark wave, while the lyrics go reflective ways. First being considered an experiment, the operatic voice of mezzo-soprano Anna Aliena (ShirayasDream) has become a constant factor. Music for the bleak hours of the night: Quiet, dark, fragile.

As the years go by, the longing never fades. The ghost of Lionel Verney is still seeking. To restore some of the most sublime moments of literature, arts and history, to maintain the strength of the individual, to wander beyond the endless shores of void.

Even if "Gothic" music isn't your thing check out this FREE EP...I recommend it.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

..and the winner of "Best Icelandic Album of All Time" is..

As Agaetis Byrjun celebrates its 10th anniversary it has just been voted the "Best Icelandic Album of All Time" in a survey by the Icelandic National Radio and Tonlist.is. The list of the 100 Best Icelandic Albums was based on the opinion of 100 experts the press and music industry as well as a public vote. In addition to Agaetis Byrjun, Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust was in 9th place and Takk… was in 20th place.
A
similar survey on the best icelandic albums was conducted in 2001 with the same conclusion: Agaetis Byrjun is the Best Icelandic Album of All Time.

Congrats S R, you deserve it.

EIC'S10Q'S w/Auburn Lull

In 2008 we were all pampered via spacey-gorgeous masterpiece "Begin Civil Twilight". The band behind said album is easily one of my favorite Shoegaze/Dream Pop/HIGHLY overlooked bands out there. If you haven't heard them yet, please get acquainted with..


Auburn Lull
Notional Atmo-gazers

Auburn Lull Bio:
Like fellow Michiganders Windy & Carl and Asha Vida, Auburn Lull create lush space-rock and ethereal, Brian Eno-inspired soundscapes. Despite the fact that the once-thriving Michigan space-rock scene has all but faded out, Auburn Lull continues to evolve their brand of technicolor sound, steadily attracting critical acclaim and an ever-growing fan base. Auburn Lull formed in Lansing, MI in 1994 by Jason Kolb (guitars), Eli Wekenmen (guitars), Sean Heenan (guitars, vocals), and Jason Weisinger (drums). The band instantly became associated with other like-minded bands from south-east MI, particularly Mahogany, with whom they released The Dual Group EP in 1997. Jason Kolb began playing guitar at live shows for Mahogany, and in 1999, Mahogany's Andrew Prinz produced Auburn Lull's debut full-length, Alone I Admire.


Hello, how are you?
Pretty okay, so-so, not great, not horrible. Ready for a nice a summer.

What are you currently listening to?
Lots of clicky/fractured stuff, like Lusine and other Ghostly things. Just discovered those Disintegration Loops by William Basinski that are really cool. Our friend Joshua from Fields of Industry just put out a "slowcoustic" solo record that is quite good. We're all sending each other a bunch of demos now too, so those are getting quite the spin.

Judging by your blissful style of music I would assume you guys to be the most chilled out mellow people around. What do you do when you're not writing/playing music, do you have day jobs?
I guess that is true for the most part, we're pretty relaxed, but we can be really NOT chill if the mood strikes. It's funny because I think that's always the assumption with bands like us, but as a bystander you might see some seriously high strung/chaotic behavior. You also might see some super-heated games of pong or Yahtzee. We all work day jobs and all have different things we get into other than music, but music is kind of our focal creative release.

What kind of music were you writing before Auburn Lull/have you always been fascinated by the "Shoegaze/Dream Pop" genre?
I think the reason we all started making music is because of Creation and 4AD. I remember hearing "De-Luxe" by Lush on the radio and that was definitely a spark for me. We were also super lucky because Sean's dad had (and has) really good taste in music and had all the Cocteau albums and other 4AD gems, so those were at Sean's disposal early on. Anyway, yeah, we've always been into "shoegaze", or at least the early incarnation of "shoegaze". Our early high school/pre-Auburn Lull days consisted of Sean, Jason W., and I playing covers that dipped heavily into Creation and 4AD's catalogs, but that was also mixed with some pretty random choices that were all over the map. Sean has tapes of us attempting to play early Cure stuff in his parent's garage at one point, which is hilarious. I'll never understand why we thought it was a good idea to cover "10:15 Saturday Night", but those days were really fun. By the time we actually made original songs, we sounded pretty much like a *really* sloppy Flying Saucer Attack attempting to cover Verve songs, or the other way around. Not so great, but you have to start somewhere.

With “Begin Civil Twilight”, my favorite Auburn Lull album, you added more vocals to the mix.. can we expect the same direction on the next Auburn Lull release? Are there any tentative titles or a release dates set for the next album?
It's hard to say what we'll end up doing vocal-wise on the new record, because we usually leave that until fairly late in the game. So far it's just a few melodies here and there. I think vocals will be key, but the presentation will be quite different. We're definitely going in a different direction, but then again, we thought BCT was a huge departure and most people seem to think it sounds just like everything else we did. The next record will have a considerably different feel though. We have a working title, but no real idea about when it will get done, which is like a running joke with us. You can pretty much tack on 6 months to 2 years to whatever we say. We have a lot of other projects keeping us busy - some collabs, remixes, and other odds and ends, some of which will be done really soon.

What’s the best show you ever played and why?
That's pretty tough, but I think we had the most fun playing in Montreal. We played during a horrible blizzard (even by Montreal's standards) and the city basically shut completely down, but it was a blast and surreal. I don't know what the best show we ever performed was, but our show in Cambridge last year had the most enthusiastic and interesting people, which is always nice.

If you could collaborate with any musician of your choice who would it be?
The totally obvious "we knew you would say that" answer is Brian Eno, just for the wild card factor. He would probably find some obscure aspect of our sound that we don't even realize and hone in on it and invert everything we do. A record with him would probably end up being like 40 minutes of dry ride cymbals with no guitars and occasional tribal outbursts or something, but it would be sweet.

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?
The answer totally depends on when I'm asked, but today the answer is Person Pitch. In this week alone, the answers could've been The Verve EP or Kiln "Holo". Man, that's a tough one.

Are you living your dream?
In some ways, definitely. As a group, I think if we were 18 again and could see our current selves, we'd be pretty happy with everything that we're accomplishing.

Thanx Jason!

Auburn Lull are currently working on their follow up to "Begin Civil Twilight", they'll let you know when it's ready...