Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Cool Video Funtime #90 - Second Skin/Zombie Wind

Introducing...

Ethernet
Kranky Records..

From Kranky:


The Kranky kompound is very excited to announce the debut release by Ethernet, "144 Pulsations of Light". We're talking cosmic electronic soundscapes of a very high order; immersive, constantly shifting aural psychedelic environments. The All Music Guide has this to say: "Echoes of everything from Ash Ra Tempel and Brian Eno to any number of Kranky labelmates being present, the joy in 144 Pulsations lies in the easy and immediate feeling of the music, how the blend of interwoven drones and echo and rhythm invites both contemplation and committed, sometimes tense attention."

Street date is October 5th

Sorry to have ruined your day with news of a new Kranky release..

Ooh, a new Moodgadget comp..

From Ghostly:

Ghostly affiliate Moodgadget Records exclusively releases music by up-and-coming artists; with the Nocturnal Suite, Moodgadget not only “exposes the diversity in electronic music” (the label’s mission statement), it unites dazzlingly talented, like-minded artists working in wildly divergent stylistic fields into a grand, unified whole. Like its predecessors, the Moodgadget-curated Rorschach Suite and Synchronicity Suite, the Nocturnal Suite plays like a lovingly assembled mixtape, compiling brief, catchy, electronic-minded pop songs built for obsessive repeat listening.

The Nocturnal Suite is eclectic, but even among its stylistic diversity (the liquid space-disco of Faux Pas’ “Rose’s Lament (Gadget Edit),” for instance, sits right next to Wild Yaks’ caveman-like “Crazy but Not Afraid,” which flanks 800Beloved’s Psychedelic Furs-esque anthem “Galaxies” there’s a distinctly nighttime-y mood, folding acoustic guitars and sleepy vocals in with its distressed beats and synths. Daedelus’ remix of Praveen & Benoit’s “Chiaroscuro” clothes a distant clattering beat in ambient reverb swells and wisps of orchestral flutes; Bluejay’s “Blurry” wraps its bedroom electro-pop around a deliciously melancholy hook; City Center’s “Summer School” is an exercise in pastoral dream-beat, a psychedelic fog of a track that drifts like a late-afternoon beachside nap.

The Nocturnal Suite encompasses dance music, indie rock, synth-pop, experimental instrumentals—and, yes, electronic music—but its emotional core is its biggest asset. Even in the closing track, Daniel Johnson’s deadly serious cover of Sophie B. Hawkins’ 1991 classic “Damn (Wish I Was Your Lover),” the pea soup-thick production turns the jaunty original into a much more resonant affair; it’s a fitting end to a compilation that turns every genre it touches into perfect late-night listening.

If you haven't yet, check out the first compilation..

Free Bang Gang mix..

Tracklist:
01. Tough Alliance - Something Special
02. Tiga - Love Don’t Dance Here Anymore
03. Daft Punk - Voyager
04. Simian Mobile Disco - Hustler (Joakim Remix)
05. Cari Lakebush - Shaded (Compuphonic & Kolumbo Dub)
06. The Knife - You Take My Breath Away (Mylo Remix)
07. Brodinski & Mumdance - Eurostarr (Zombie Disco Squad Remix)
08. Cut Copy - Out There On The Ice
09. Beni - Maximus (White Acapella)
10. The Lowbrows - Dream In The Desert (Flight Facilities Remix)
11. Daft Punk - Too Long
12. Curses! - The Deep End (Holy Ghost! Remix)
13. Tiga - Good As Gold
14. James Curd - We Just Won’t Stop
15. Toecutter - Best Party Ever (Flight Facilities Edit)
16. Damn Arms - Destination (Bang Gang Happy Acid Reshuffle)
17. Justice - DVNO (Todd Edwards Sunshine Brothers Remix)
18. DJ T - Funk On You
19. Radiators - Gimme Head (Knife Machine Remix)
20. Golden Silvers - True Romance
21. The Glimmers - Physical
22. The Lost Valentinos - Midnights (Remix)
23. Sneaky Sound System - 16 (Flight Facilities Remix)
24. Das Glow - I Wanna Wake Up With You

Plug in, press play, go dance, repeat.. (oh, and ~njoy too)

Stream the New Kurt Vile album..


I anticipate the arrival of this album..

Monday, September 28, 2009

EIC'S10Q'S w/Epic45

"..somewhere amid experimental post-rock, folkatronica, ambient/mind numbing music.. Gentle and elegant, organic and modern, warm, VERY warm.."

Epic45
Somnific Milieu Masons

Epic45 Bio:
Epic45 are based around the nucleus of Rob Glover and Ben Holton, who grew up on the same street in a small village in rural Staffordshire, UK. Rob and Ben have been writing and performing music together since they were at school, and released their first single as Epic45 in 1998.
Subsequent 7” releases won airplay and praise from BBC Radio 1 DJs John Peel and Steve Lamacq, and albums followed on Canadian indie Where Are My Records. Joining Make Mine Music in 2004, they released the highly acclaimed EPs “England Fallen Over” and “Drakelow”, drawing comparisons with Disco Inferno, Hood and Boards of Canada.
2007 saw the band’s album “May Your Heart Be the Map” chosen as one of The Word magazine’s Top Ten Albums of the Year.



Hello, how are you?
Currently suffering a little cold, but basically, I'm fine thanks.

What are you currently listening to?
Oh, loads as usual. Been really enjoying the last Tim Hecker album 'An Imaginary Country' and the latest Bibio and Clark albums on Warp are rather grand. Lots of older stuff too, Windsor for the Derby, I find, are especially lovely around this time of year, New Order 'Movement', Disco inferno 'Summers Last Sound' and lots of Radiophonic Workshop amongst others....

I read once that Epic45 started as a “tribute project” for a lost friend, is this true? Care to talk about him/her?
His name was John Wolverson, and he sailed off on a voyage off the coast of Norfolk in the Autumn of 1945 and was never seen again. He was a good friend of the family and used to live in a smaller village to the north of us called Church Eaton. Obviously I never knew him but the story haunted us as children and eventually fed into and directly inspired what was to become 'epic45'.

You guys just released a sweet little EP titled “In All The Empty Houses”, did you find the recording process for the album to be easy or hard?
The only hard part was finishing it. The actual recording of each track was a joyful, cathartic experience but we got lost inside ourselves when it came to the mixing stage. Eventually we reverted back to mixes that were nearly a year old. It's definitely something we plan to resolve with the next album....

Some of your music can be hard to obtain here in the US, now that you’re on Make Mine Music will your music be a little easier to find? Do you plan on re-releasing any of your older albums through MMM?
There are vague plans of re-releasing the first three albums on MMM, but there's some bits and bobs that need to be discussed before this can happen. As for being easier to obtain our stuff I'm not quite sure, we will be on i-tunes soon apparently....

Speaking of finding your music in America, will there ever be a large scale North American tour?
That is something we would all love to do, it's just a matter of sitting down and figuring out the logistics for such a task. So, hopefully yeah...

Out of all the songs you have written, which one is your favorite? Mine has to be “Against The Pull Of Autumn”, easily one of the best piano tracks I have ever heard..
Thank you very much, glad you think so. It's a funny one really, trying to pick a favourite, they're all special to me in their own little way. 'August Passed Away Unnoticed' always seems to have a certain poigniancy I can't quite shake, as does 'Cold Evening Colours'. As for live, it possibly has to be 'History vs the Future', always fun to play....

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?
Ok, I thought the last question was hard. The answer to this would probably have to be, at this moment in time, The Beatles 'white album'. It's a toss up between this and Abbey Road, but both of them have such a breath of emotional content and range of styles that either one could probably do the job...

Are you living your dream?
To a degree, yes. As a child, all I wanted to do was to be in a band. I used to sit and draw album covers, make up song titles and sing made up songs to myself. So, here I am, 20 odd years later, still kind of doing that but now people are actually listening to us. Maybe living in a dream would sum it up best......

Thanx Epic45!

Epic45 just released a new EP titled "In All The Empty Houses" go out and buy that now, go on Go!..

Check into Pintail..

DEBUT ALBUM + FREE = Pintail - Impulses
For fans of Steve Reich, Murcof, electronic, neo classical, minimal glitch, etc..

Devendra Banhart remixes Phoenix..

~njoy

Sunday, September 27, 2009

EIC'S10Q'S w/Castanets

"Do yourself a favor, take your vehicle out on a long nights drive to the middle of nowhere. Find a dark & desolate road where civilization ends, pavement begins, and eeriness surrounds.."


Castanets
Chromatic Folk From The Void Above

Castanets Bio:
San Diego's Castanets borrow from country, folk, and experimental rock and turn them into a sound that's equally moody and inspiring. The band, which features a revolving cast of supportive musicians (including members from Pinback, Rocket from the Crypt, and Tristeza), centers on singer/songwriter Raymond Raposa, who explored the U.S. for four years via Greyhound bus after testing out of high school at age 15. This searching, traveling nature extends to his music, which he initially released as a series of CD-Rs. However, the Asthmatic Kitty label stepped in and released his first widely available album, Cathedral — the bulk of which was recorded in a cabin in northern California's woodlands — in fall 2004. A year later, Raposa and company returned with First Light's Freeze. A period of acute depression followed, during which Raposa was mugged outside of his home in Bedstuy, Brooklyn. In the Vines, Castanets' third release, was completed weeks after the mugging; appropriately dark (but earnest nevertheless), the album was released in October 2007. Recorded in three short weeks in a Nevada desert motel room (alone), the sparse and atmospheric City of Refuge arrived in 2008, followed by Texas Rose, the Thaw and the Beasts in 2009.


Hello, how are you?
Drinking Cororitas w/orange slices. White cheddar. Sunset is OK. 6 out of 10.

What are you currently listening to?
Swans. Darkthrone. Van Morrison. Hot Snakes. Tonetta. My Mother.

Who/what inspired you to start Castanets?
The songs had to go somewhere.

How did you originally get connected with Sufjan’s label Asthmatic Kitty?
Got lucky. Was playing in Liz Janes' band. Met some people. Made a couple decisions.

Your previous full length album “City of Refuge” had a Dub companion titled “Dub Refuge“, why did you decide to remix that album?
Because the challenge of dub versioning an LP w/no rhythm tracks was too good to pass up. Also it was good to give Ero a bit more room to stretch out than he did on the original mixes. Also, we love dub.

Your newest release “Texas Rose, The Thaw, and The Beast” is one of the best releases I’ve heard all year, it’s a lot “spacier” than your previous releases. How do you feel about the outcome of this release? Did you go into the studio knowing what kind of album you were going to write?
I've heard, and I believe, that it's less spacy. That seems to be the consensus. Went into the studio knowing as much as I ever do about what's gonna happen which is quite a bit and never enough. I am extremely happy w/it and anticipate being even more so w/the next one.

Do you tend to be a gloomy guy or is that just how I perceive you from your music?
C'mon man. Gloomy? Percieve something else. I party. Hard.

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?
Beach Boys "Sunflower".

Are you living your dream?
Far from it friend. I don't even have a motorcycle yet.


Thanx Ray!

Castanets are currently embarking on a European tour right now, US dates to follow shortly...

REVIEW: Blue Orchids - A Darker Bloom

5.75 out of 10

Blue Orchids are almost entirely keyboard driven which gives them a unique edge when it comes to the Post Punk genre. There's drums and guitars/bass, and "sort of" singing/speaking out, but the keyboards are the only thing that stand out at all. Lots of "sweeping" beautiful organ riffs with a Manchester guy yelling over them. It's kinda psychedelic, kinda punk. You can defiantly tell on "Disney Boys" that they used to be in The Fall. And then they'll have a great ballad like "Bad Education", or "Out Of Sight". The lush and dramatic "Conscience" shows you how much potential they had as a band; it's simple but beautiful. On the last track "Wait", Martin Bramah tries his best to croon Morrissey style, but it doesn't really work because of his "flatness". Man, if Blue Orchids just had a different singer, they would be remembered completely different.

This is a Compilation release for a band that really only had one LP and one EP, so really it has most if not all of their recordings. It moves from their more punkier leanings into the more mature slow and beautiful work, more reflective of Nico, whom they toured with as her opener and backing band.

I can't guarantee you'd like them, but check it out if you like Manchester Post Punk scene. They do have some fantastic moments, and I don't mind having it in my collection.

Standout Tracks: Disney Boys, Bad Education, Out Of Sight, Conscience

REVIEW: Castanets - Texas Rose, The Thaw & The Beasts

8.5 out of 10

Do yourself a favor, take your vehicle out on a long nights drive to the middle of nowhere. Find a dark & desolate road where civilization ends, pavement begins, and eeriness surrounds. The only light will be from the stars, your headlights, and that which is emitted from you car stereo player (assuming your dash is functional). Sit back and relax now, Castanets will take care of the rest.

On "Texas Rose, The Thaw & The Beasts", Castanet's 5th full length, Raymond Raposa let's loose (even more), experiments heavily with "spacey" atmospheres, and up's the "David Lynch-ian" western theme music macrocosmically. Those who have been paying attention over the past 5 years or so already know of the genius of Castanets. "Experimental Gaze-Folk" that is dreeeamy, rich with Americana roots, sparse electronic drum samples, droney keyboard effects, "twangy" male vocals which are both romantic and relaxing, and guitar effect-a-palooza. Same idea with "Texas Rose.." as well, just "looser" and more ambient. The best comparison to this album would be Odawas "The Blue Depths". Yes, it's "Folk" music, but don't let that deter you (if you're an "anti-folk music kind of dude") the blanket of lush/warm electronics that envelope your headphones in sound will keep you gazing into the stars for the entire album's length, and then some. You will feel relaxed, you won't be bored, you will be happy/content with your surroundings. Hey, pay attention, you're still driving..

Castanets fans you already own this, you know what I'm talking about.. New to Castanets? Where have you been? You're missing out on one of my favorite artists of all time. I get goose bumps sometimes when I listen to Castanets.
Highly Recommended.

Standout Tracks: On Beginning (one of the best tracks of 09), Worn From The Flight (With Fireworks), No Trouble, Thaw And The Beasts, We Kept Our Kitchen Clean And Our Dreaming Quiet, Down The Line Love, Lucky Old Moon, Ignorance Is Blues

Cool Video Funtime #88 - Nothing's The Same

Don't forget (not that you could)..





"Through The Devil Softly" comes out this Tuesday!!!!!! First new Hope Sandoval album in almost a decade...

New/Free Home Video song...

Here's a new video:

Listen to a new Innaway song...

Streaming HERE.

..A little different, more sparse and folksy, but pretty good..New album in 2010!
~njoy.

EverythingIsChemical Presents: A Sunny Day In Glasgow Live

The bands + EIC would like to thank you ahead of time for attending.
Please come to the show and enjoy some amazing dream pop/good company..
Look forward to seeing you there..
~njoy.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Free Lotus Plaza live album..!

Live At Eyedrum ATL Sept. 22

~njoy!

Some more Small Black..

I'm diggin' these guys right now..
&
"Despicable Dogs (Washed Out Remix)" (that one I told you to stream a couple days ago..it's free now!)
Both via Strgm..

Thanx!

Cool Video Funtime #87 - Close To The Ground

If only I lived here..

No, seriously..read about this...soooo much going on.. It's a 10 day event!

Throbbing Gristles response to the Buddha Machine..

From TG:

GRISTLEISM - THE THROBBING GRISTLE HANDHELD LOOP PLAYBACK MACHINE

Industrial Records Ltd. are pleased to announce the birth of GRISTLEISM, the newest member of our Throbbing Gristle family.

Bastard offspring of now-famous ambient loop player the Buddha Machine, GRISTLEISM is part Industrial sound machine, part noise instrument.

Featuring thirteen original and uncompromising loops, GRISTLEISM delivers a mix of signature TG experimental noise, industrial drone, and classic melodies and rhythms.

GRISTLEISM was born from a collaboration between Industrial Records, Throbbing Gristle and Christiaan Virant, the creator of the original FM3 Buddha Machines.

Available in three colours - Black, Chrome and Red - the palm-sized unit features a built-in speaker, volume control, pitch-shift control and loop selector switch.

GRISTLEISM features more loops and almost twice the frequency range of the Buddha Machine. GRISTLEISM is powered by two AA batteries and is the world's first and only portable TG aural exciter!

Does this still mean new album in November (I hope so)?

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Deastro US Fall Tour...

10.20 New York, NY [CMJ] @ Cake Shop
10.21 New York, NY [CMJ] @ Santos Party House
10.22 New York, NY [CMJ] @ The Cutting Room (KEXP Session)
11.05 Chicago, IL @ Schuba's (w/ Max Tundra)
11.07 Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick (w/ Max Tundra)
11.10 Boston, MA @ Great Scott (w/ Max Tundra)
11.11 New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge (w/ Max Tundra)
11.12 Washington, DC @ DC9 (w/ Max Tundra)
11.13 Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery (w/ Max Tundra)
11.14 Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie (w/ Max Tundra)
11.16 Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn (w/ Max Tundra)
11.18 Austin, TX @ Mohawk (w/ Max Tundra)
11.19 Dallas, TX @ The Cavern (w/ Max Tundra, Free Energy)
11.20 Kansas City, KS @ Czar Bar (w/ Max Tundra)
11.21 Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge (w/ Max Tundra)
11.22 Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge (w/ Max Tundra)
11.24 Los Angeles, CA @ Echo (w/ Max Tundra)
11.25 San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill (w/ Max Tundra)
11.27 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir (w/ Max Tundra)
11.28 Seattle, WA @ Nectar (w/ Max Tundra)

See ya in KC!!

New/Free Salem song..

If you haven't check out Salem yet, do so now.
Thanx GvsB!

Monday, September 21, 2009

EIC'S10Q'S w/Au Revoir Simone

"..Sugary electronic pop sounds with the heavenly fragile female vocals. Your eardrums are begging for this.."


Au Revoir Simone
Ambrosial Canzonet Artisans

Au Revoir Simone Bio:
The Brooklyn indie pop outfit Au Revoir Simone features Heather D'Angelo (vocals/drum machine/keyboard), Erika Forster (vocals/keyboard), and Annie Hart (vocals/keyboard). Borrowing their name from a minor character in the Tim Burton comedy Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, the Casio-centric group came together in late 2003, when Forster and Hart befriended one another while traveling by train from Vermont to New York. From there, they became fast friends and began writing songs together. D'Angelo and Sung Bin Park (keyboard/vocals) were added to the dreamy pop fray after contributing to many practice sessions, but Park left in January 2005 to pursue other projects. A year later, Au Revoir Simone issued their debut album, Verses of Comfort, Assurance & Salvation. It was self-released in the United States and appeared on the Moshi Moshi label throughout Europe. Additionally, the song "Through the Backyards" was included in the season finale to Grey's Anatomy that spring, thus boosting the trio's profile. Au Revoir Simone's second album, The Bird of Music, was released one year later, while a track-by-track remix of the record appeared in 2008 under the title Reverse Migration. The trio's third album, Still Night, Still Light, was produced by Thom Monahan and released by Our Secret Record Company in spring of 2009.


Hello, how are you?
Heather: excellent. living the beach life.

What are you currently listening to?
Heather: Silence. It's golden.

How did you ladies meet each other?
Heather: We met in the Brooklyn neighborhood. Erika was playing in Annie's boyfriend's (now husband) band called "Dirty On Purpose", and I was friends with Erika via mutual friends. I met her in a bar! And I met Annie at band practice.

Are you big Pee Wee Herman fans?
Heather: Yes! I watched Pee Wee's Playhouse religiously every Saturday morning. I dreamed of living there and having Jambi for a best friend. and the band name is a quote from Pee Wee's Big Adventure. Here is the youtube link so you can see for yourself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRP42OS5mjo
We liked the name because its silly, sounds kind of romantic, and was said in the spirit of advising a friend to follow their dreams. Annie has the entire movie memorized!

What’s your favorite song to play live?
Heather: I like playing "Knight Of Wands" right now because we can really rock out on it, which is rare for us.

How has the touring been going? Any favorite shows?
Heather: Touring has been going great! We played a festival in Portugal that was amazing..

Once all of the touring is over what will be next for you guys?
Heather: I don't know! Our philosophy is one day at a time.

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?
Heather: Probably Philip Glass' "Glassworks". If I was only allowed to keep one album for the rest of my life, I'd need some calming down.

Are you living your dream?
Heather: One of them, yeah.

Thanx Heather!

Au Revoir Simone are currently taking a moment to catch their collective breath, look for future releases from then eventually, till then go listen to "Still Night, Still Light"...

Atlas Sound Live @ ATP

Free n'stuv..
Thanx TDT!

Cool Video Funtime #86 - The Man With The Shovel

The new Boys Noize song..

"Starter" off of "Power" out 10/06/09. Damn fine track..(and it's free)
Thanx Rcrdlbl!

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Goldfrapp to score a Lennon biopic..

From Goldfrapp:

Hey!

Hows it goin? We have finally emerged from an intense period of work and I’m pleased I can now tell you about it (as it is official). We have written the score for a film called “Nowhere Boy”. It’s about John Lennon as a boy and stars Aaron Johnson, Kristen Scott-Thomas and Anne Marie Duff. It’s Sam Taylor-Wood’s first feature film and it’s truly amazing that they gave us the oppotunity to do this. We are all really excited about going to Abbey Road Studios soon to record the strings with the full orchestra. The film is closing the London Film Festival and is premiered on 29th October at Odeon Leicester Square. Now our work on the film is almost finished, we will carry on writing the Goldfrapp album..

What a beautiful day it was today, I hope there’s more of that gorgeous autumnal sunshine over the weekend.

Love to you all and catch up soonxxxxA

Goldfrapp + full orchestra = drool.

A couple songs worth streaming..

Washed Out's remix of Small Black's "Despicable Dogs"
&
Devendra Banhart's new song "Baby"

~njoy.

Jonsi & Alex coloring contest..


Hey kids, it’s time for a fun coloring competition here on jonsiandalex.com. Get out your pencils, crayons and brushes and color in an original drawing from Jónsi & Alex’s Coloring Book. Send us the colored-in picture and Jónsi & Alex will go over them and pick the winning pictures themselves.

The winner will receive:
•‘Riceboy Sleeps’ Special Edition Box, signed by J&A
•Jónsi & Alex’s Coloring Book, signed by J&A, with one picture colored in by J&A
•Jónsi & Alex tote bag and badge (new merchandise)
•‘Riceboy Sleeps’ poster, signed by J&A
•‘Rain Down My Favorite Songs’ mix cd by Jónsi & Alex, signed by J&A
Five runner-ups will receive a signed copy of the mix cd ‘Rain Down My Favorite Songs’.

Free stuff for being creative always seems like a grand idea : )

Speaking of cool sites..

A friend of a friend showed me this site. It's too flippin' brilliant not to share...

Have you been to this site?

Pretty amazing idea (if you're into free music)..

Commissioned by The Model as part of model::offsite, Relay is an online music project devised and curated by musician John Lambert (aka Chequerboard). The idea with Relay is to create a chain or collection of music pieces by Irish and international artists where each work is directly influenced by the one before, creating an open ended but linear, conversation of ideas. On finishing their work each artist is asked to gather a cluster of sounds from their track for the next participant who is free to include them or not. The project will continue indefinitely.

Some of the contributing artists (so far) include; Loscil, Bibio, and Sunken Foal. It's free and if you're like me (sucker for concept music) you'll be very happy with what you hear..

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Cool Video Funtime #85 - One Night In Bangkok

EIC EXCLUSIVE: Castanets - My Heart (Odawas Remix)

Two of my favorite artists, who have both coincidentally released two of the best releases of 09, together...somebody out there is listening...
Look for Odawas "The Blue Depths" Now!
Look for Castanets "Texas Rose, The Thaw, And The Beasts" on Sept. 22nd!! Yay!
Oh!,
and here's another Castanets track (ya greedy so and sos).."Worn From The Flight With Fireworks"

~njoy.

Free DSL Minimix..

From Ed Banger (love that guy)

If only I lived here..

My feet would hurt after this show..

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

New Asobi Seksu album, ..already?

Yes, please! "Rewolf" comes out on 11/10. All acoustic versions of various Asobi songs spanning their entire career. I have another acoustic set of theirs that's pretty amazing, you guys are in for treat..gimme gimme....

Monday, September 14, 2009

EIC'S10Q'S w/Ecovillage

"Mix Windy & Carl's droney side with Auburn Lull's synthy atmospheres, vocals mnemonic of Lansing Dreiden, with the over the top production qualities of Ulrich Schnauss and you will get one of the best (if not, THE Best) Dream Pop albums of 2009.. "


Ecovillage
Celestial Resonance Couturiers

Ecovillage Bio:
Ecovillage is primarily a two-man Psychedelic/Shoegaze band from Sweden. The band members have both been involved with different bands over the years. In 2005 they went on an journey together which changed their view on music radically.
In 2006 they formed the band Ecovillage…with this band everything fell into its right place and it just clicked from the beginning. They felt that Ecovillage was something special so they put everything else on hold and dedicated all their time into their music. Ecovillage music have often been described as euphoric, melancholic, ethereal and very psychedelic. A Good Vibrations, The Association, psychedelic pop kind of affair mixing Shoegaze with vocal harmonies, electronics and some sitar.
Members of the band: Emil Holmström and Peter Wikström. The album features Jonas Munk aka (Manual/Darla Records), Jakob Skott (Syntaks/Benbecula Records/Ghostly International) and Sherlie Matthews (Motown Records).


Hello, how are you?
Emil: I’m doing fine, thanks for asking.
Peter: Enjoying the summer to the fullest, the last 10 days have been really lovely because I’ve got to experince the many beatiful places out in nature that Sweden has to offer. Being outside lets me breathe in a different way.

What are you currently listening to?
Emil: William Basinski - 92982, Lawrence English - A Colour For Autumn and Robin Guthrie - Angel Falls.
Peter: Philip Jeck – Sand, Fennesz – Venice and BJ Nilsen - The Short Night.

Apparently you went on a "spiritual journey" of some kind and it changed your lives forever. Now you guys are creating the most lush/rich music I‘ve heard in a long time, can you explain what happened?
Emil: Well, in 2005 we went on a backpacker trip through Asia, but it turned into something much more than just a vacation; near death experiences, spiritual awakening and just total madness... So when we came back we started creating music like there was no tomorrow and the result was our first album "The Quest And That Magic Summer" (don't know if we going to keep that title though). The feeling of the album is quite different from that of "Phoenix Asteroid", it’s less melancholic and much more euphoric.
Peter: The album was scheduled to be released in 2007 but we decided to not release it since we were not satisfied with the production of the album. We consider it to be the best material we have made so far. Some people have earlier versions of it from 2007 on our myspace. We are going to re-record the album and the plan is to release the album in 2010.

No, but seriously your debut album is amazing, thanks for sharing. Did you find recording to go quite smoothly or were there some bumps in the road?
Emil: It’s always hard to create something that we are 100% happy with since we are very critical and pedantic when it comes to our music. Also every track that we create has around 100-150 layers of sound, so it is really time consuming to make it sound good.
Peter: The mixing procedure is really the hard part getting all the recorded layers to sound good together. It is also difficult when, for example, I have spent days of mixing a track and then Emil is not happy with the way it sounds and then you change the mix and it becomes a totally new track. It’s like that all the time when you have that many layers of sounds.


You guys got Jonas Munk (Manual) to help out with the album, how did you meet him originally?
Peter: We contacted Jakob Skott (Syntaks) and asked if he wanted to create the art-work for "The Quest And That Magic Summer" and he send it to Jonas, and since they both liked our music we asked them both to be a part of "Phoenix Asteroid".

Have you guys ever tried playing an acoustic set live?
Emil: Actually this is going to sounds a bit weird, but we haven’t yet played live even once with our band, and our intention is to get on stage late this fall.
We do of course have plenty of experience playing live with other bands that we have been involved with over the years.

Speaking of playing live, is there a US tour on the horizon?

Peter: Not for the moment, but we would love to do a US tour.

Who would you like to tour the most with right now?
Emil: Boards Of Canada

Who are your top 5 favorite Shoegaze/Dream Pop acts of all time?
Peter: In no particular order: Cocteau Twins, My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Manual and Lovesliescrushing

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?
Emil: Fennesz - Endless Summer
Peter: Our yet to be titled ambient/modern classical album. Will be released 2010 or 2011.

Are you living your dream?
Emil: Life is a dream itself, but sure I am happy about my situation right now.
Peter: I’m constantly evolving everyday as a person and it feels like I’m going in the right direction. As of right now, I’m moving closer and closer to my personal dream and I’m enjoying every moment of the process.

Thanx Emil & Peter!

Ecovillage are currently working on an "ambient" album look for that in 2010 (or 2011), as well as some touring here and there...

Cool Video Funtime #84 - Bingo

Introducing...

Black Feelings
Alien8 Recordings..


From Alien8:
Black Feelings are the essence of a power trio: each member of the three-piece exhibiting a great deal of power while the whole remains balanced. Conisiting of two former members of Montreal’s Les Angles Morts, the band has developed a unique a hybrid of the British post punk and experimental scenes that spawned the likes of This Heat, Gang of Four and the Pop Group with heavy traces of psychedelic-goth and cold wave. Like American band The Liars, Black Feelings’ penchant for combining a variety of influences to conjure up a sound that is both retro and vitally fresh at the same time. The band’s main vocalist and drummer Owain Lawson is kept busy as he sings and holds down the rhythm section alongside fellow founding member and bassist Brian Mitchell, while the sound is rounded out with shimmering guitar and synth flourishes provided by Kyle Fostner.

Listening to Black feelings self-titled debut is never dull, as moody vibes ebb and flow throughout the long player carried by propulsive bass and drums. For a small band these guys have a huge sound. The drums have an almost war song intensity that helps drive the music alongside the bass, guitars, and synth all the while delivering really catchy anthemic songs. The feeling one experiences listening to this self-titled debut is very positive, yet with a lingering feelings of darkness hiding in the shadows.

In their two years of existence Black Feelings have managed a couple of tours of the Eastern U.S. as well as an Eastern Canadian tour in support of Tyvek. During this time they have managed to release a cassette as well as 7” single and have another 45 rpm on the way via UK label We Be Records. For this upcoming full length the have enlisted the help of engineer Mark Lawson, who’s credits include Arcade Fire, Beirut, Final Fantasy, Akron Family and The Unicorns to name a few.

The recording is adorned with beautiful artwork courtesy of ex-Aids Wolf guitarist Chris Taylor and will be issued on CD, vinyl LP and digital formats.

Release date: October 13, 2009

Why can't my paycheck be here right now?

Free Real Estate / Ducktails "megajam"..

From WMUA:

Hampshire alums /drop-outs Matt Mondanile & Etienne Pierre Duguay dropped by the WMUA studios along with Real Estate frontman Martin Courtney for a stripped-down (yes, topless) Real Estate & Ducktails 8-song megajam. Making do with a borrowed guitar, a missing bassist, and only an armload of drums, the trio still managed to pump out some radical summery psych-pop.

Oh, you want a track-list, you say? Why you ungrateful....
1. Green River
2. Younger than Yesterday
3. Fake Blues
4. Beach Comber
5. Backyard
6. House of Mirrors
7. Let's Rock the Beach
8. Pizza Time

Ducktails OOO-ooh!

Have you heard Girls yet?

I look forward to owning this sooon...

Portal calls it quits.

From Portal:

The end is in sight

At the end of 2009, Portal will be laid to rest. In its place, there will be something else. This site will remain for information about Portal's recordings and other activities between 1996 and 2009, but will not be updated or checked. For more information about these future activities, please register your interest by sending us a message containing your email address. We promise that will not use it for any other purpose, or pass your information on to third parties.

:..(

This seems "under the radar"..

Did you know on Sept 18th The Notiwst are going to release the soundtrack for Hans-Christian Schmid`s motion picture "Sturm" on Alien Transistor?

Now you do!