18 May 2013 — Henning Lahmann
Vanessa Upson aka Violetness' long-anticipated 12" Last Night in My Dreams, I Was Talking to You has finally arrived, and the all-too brief yet utterly wonderful work has just received another accompanying video, this time for sweeping, defiant and exalted outré pop anthem "The Mighty Moss". The video, directed by Rodrigo Melendez with a stunning performance by Silvia Kaehler, is as unsettling as it is bold and apposite, and we're happy to premiere it here today.
Last Night In My Dreams, I Was Talking To You is out on LebensStrasse Records.
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17 May 2013 — Lukas Dubro
There are different kinds of drone music. Some sound warm and pleasant, others nostalgic and deeply melancholic. Chicago-based trio Kwaidan again plays drone music that will make you feel uncomfortable and paranoid. Their Sunn O)))-inspired and noise driven sound would be perfect to soundtrack any The X-Files episode or horror movie. Those amongst you having a weak stomach probably shouldn't listen to this, especially not when you walk home all alone in the dark. Everybody else though may enjoy technically well-produced drone with a deep and dense atmosphere. Big respect to Zelienople's Mike Weis, who is doing a great job behind the drums. In particular his way of using cymbals contributes a lot to the dark and heavy vibe of the music.
Kwaidan's debut Make All The Hell Of Dark Metal Bright will drop on ambient expert label Bathetic Records on June 4. If you don't want to wait till then, you may already download the "Gateless Gate" right here.
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17 May 2013 — Henning Lahmann
Early on it became obvious that the folks who founded London imprint Public Information in 2011 had not come to run yet another underground label to exploit the latest fad that the Empire's capital's seemingly inexhaustible electronic music well has happened to spit out of late. Instead, the express mission statement is to dig a little deeper than others, with 'deeper' meaning both with more focus on leftfield's edges and further into the forgotten shades of their Island's musical past. Early last year, the latter operation brought to light the work of Frederick Charles Judd, an underappreciated electronic music pioneer, whose wide-ranging oeuvre of library-leaning synth explorations was distilled into the superb 35-track retrospective Electronics Without Tears.
This year, the whole project has been taken one step further, and the result is Public Information's boldest and most compelling statement yet. Interpretations on F.C. Judd gathers twelve electronic music luminaries from both sides of the Atlantic who share a vision of fierce and intrepid experimentalism. The LP is not a compilation of remixes in the strict sense. Rather, all artists were given the permission to delve deep into Judd's sonic library. The outcome is a collection of mostly surprisingly faithful and deferential reinterpretations that nonetheless manage to exhibit the individual musicians' styles and approaches. This highly adventurous and wholly intriguing piece of music is without doubt one of this year's highlights so far, and surely a release you shouldn't dare to miss. Listen to snippets of all contributions below.
Interpretations on F.C. Judd is out now. Get it on vinyl via Boomkat.
Tracklist:
(1) Ian Helliwell "Solid States"
(2) Perc "Woodford"
(3) Chris Carter "Flip-Flop"
(4) Holly Herndon "Control Sample"
(5) Mordant Music "Hoarded House (reMMix Fredit)"
(6) The Boats "Space Judder"
(7) Pye Corner Audio "Splice Block"
(8) Leyland Kirby "Slim Jim Wimshurst Mechanicals"
(9) Karen Gwyer "Judd Drums"
(10) Peter Rehberg "FJUDDmix 032013"
(11) Bandshell "Concrete Teeth"
(12) Ekoplekz "Fredwrek"
You may also stream Chris Carter's contribution in full:
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17 May 2013 — Tonje Thilesen
With his spaced-out, disillusional beats, Dutch producer Glass Eyes is back on the timeline of the fine imprint Zoology Records, more maliciously sounding than previously noted, but with a clear influence of Tangerine Dream intact. In similarity to The-Drum, Glass Eyes plays with tingeling aesthics in a dissolving, grimy landscape, allowing small details so shine through the otherwise shattered ambience. Below is the first outtake from his new EP due to next month on Zoology Records.
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14 May 2013 — Henning Lahmann
Datalog is the solo project of Brooklyn resident Conor Heffernan, who full-on turned his hand to the machines in 2010 after five years in the indie rock business as a keyboardist. Though we have no clue of how his former ventures sounded like, listening to his forthcoming Haarp EP, we assume it's safe to say that it was the right decision. Landing somewhere between techno-leaning dance beats, more explorative, abstract electronic soundscapes, and even a little dash of forward-looking jazz elements here and there, the EP's seven tracks make for a compelling listen. The subdued, acidic "Sumingashi II" - rather fittingly, each track is named after Japanese paper crafting - is a clear standout, evoking impressions of opaque, watery sceneries somewhere far east. The accompanying video, premiered below, perfectly translates this imagination into restrained images of a night ride's disconnected, surreal city lights. Watch it below.
The Haarp EP is out May 28.
While you're at it, also check out this previously unpublished footwork remix of "Sumingashi II" by Brooklyn-based producer KRTS:
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13 May 2013 — Tonje Thilesen
Our favourite Berlin expat Weird Magic is finally back with his excellent, handpicked club night Weird Terrain, bringing New York's MADTEO into the 'spotlight' at Chesters on May 17th, following DJ sets by Berlin-via-London techno darling RKSS, The Irradiance Cache and Erez himself. May 17th also just happens to be Norway's Independence Day, so you'll find me there at least, along with lots of brown cheese.
More details via Facebook.
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13 May 2013 — Selina Begum
With their debut full-length Cut Up, Besançon, France-based Mayerling have produced a dark and eerie debut album with minimalistic vocals and shadowy instrumentals that make for a soothing and mellowed listening experience.
Softly uttered French words surface from the intro to "Pure as Gold," a dark and atmospheric lo-fi track imbued with interspersed lighter tones. These contrasts in the band's music encapsulates the different genres that influence their album, the instrumental leading up to the climactic finish being reminiscent of dream-pop giants, The XX. "Pure as Gold" seems befitting for an indie movie score, with its beautiful crescendos and delicately layered vocals; the tones of the track iridescent and acoustically buoyant.
"La Mort N’en Saura Rien" ('Death will not Know') also delves into the deep and far reaches of the subconscious, using submerged organ sounds, promising to take us on some mysterious journey. Vocalist Sylvain Bombled’s reverb punctuates the solid synths, while the varying instruments permeate the lyrics. What Mayerling have proven to do so well with Cut Up is to produce music that is gradual and unrushed, yet always sustaining intrigue.
The music from these two singles generates a cinematic grandeur, nuanced effortlessly by the subterranean sounds through the fusion of patiently prolonged uses of synths, violoncello, guitars and keyboard. The band have made an album that goes beyond words and seeps through the darkest parts of the mind. Progressive and rhythmically immersive, this makes for a thought-provoking soundscape, where one can drift off into the unknown.
Cut Up is out tomorrow, May 14, via Hands in the Dark.
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13 May 2013 — Henning Lahmann
After our recent, jointly presented night with Sun Araw and Deep Magic at West Germany, the folks of CTM Festival are back at Berghain to continue with their much acclaimed Polymorphism concert series, having not one but two nights at our favourite location scheduled for this week. On Wednesday, we'll witness the live performance of one of this year's most staggering and convincing albums, Excavation by British sound wizard Bobby Krlic aka The Haxan Cloak, who'll be accompanied by a true legend, NYC artist William Basinski. The following night is dedicated to two acid house pioneers, Indian native Charanjit Singh and none other than A Guy Called Gerald. As usual bold, adventurous and truly open-minded, with such lineups the CTM people seem once again eager to re-define the boundaries of contemporary Berlin electronic music events, a mission we cannot be grateful enough for. Surely another two nights not to be missed.
Go here and here for more info on each concert.
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