World Tour: “Believe”
March 6, 2012
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We’re happy to present (drumroll, please) the latest from World Tour, a Swedish trio we had the pleasure of posting about back when the world was young and they were just pushing out their first batch of material as a duo. Those early tracks seemed so well thought out that we questioned whether or not actually qualified as “demos,” but now that that their sound and production style have ripened, we’re only left to wonder at the crisp feel and clearly articulated instrumentation of their new Believe EP. The title track/opening track/first single, “Believe,” demonstrates that the pair have grown their affinity for catchy melodies, as the opening synth arpeggio gains steam over the opening minute, before being enveloped by side-chained compression as winking chimes, balearic piano stabs, and something marimba-ish swoop in to form a complex cushion for the catchy, wafting vocals. The diverse palette of sounds is powerfully melodic, but never brazen or forceful. Little touches like the tasteful acoustic guitar parts and jolts of tuned 808 cowbell make this a satisfying and shockingly quick 6 minutes and 2 seconds. On the other hand, that’s plenty of time to dance around your room before rushing back to your computer/stereo/i-pod hooked up to your stereo to play the track again.
World Tour – 03 Believe by CASCINE
Look for World Tour’s Believe EP from Cascine on April 10th
Written by Luke Carrell
Tags: all, Europe, Reviews, Sweden, Tracks, world tour
Reviews
The enigmatic music making entity known as Albert Swarm hails from Brooklyn via northern Finland, and that’s about all the bio you’re going to get out of this guy. That’s just fine, too. As much as we love a good narrative to go along with our freshly baked sound waves, we also appreciate when the music stands on its own, as does AS’ “Familialities,” a more minimalist take on the dangerously deep sample-scapes of Holy Other or Balam Acab. Delayed arrays of lightly plucked strings and chimes contribute a feeling of whimsy, before collapsing into place around bottom-heavy drums and soulful vocal samples that seem all the more affecting for their being so inarticulate and ripped away from any context. Raw bits of filter hiss, temperamental sample manipulations, and plenty of other subtleties might escape a first listen, so good thing that you’re going to have this track on heavy rotation anyway.
Albert Swarm’s Held EP will be available from Ceremony on August 23, 2011
Written by Luke Carrell
Tags: Albert Swarm, brooklyn, finland, Reviews, Tracks
Reviews
Femminielli is the ace solo synthesizer work of the Montreal-based musician Bernardino Femminielli. While the ominous chords, geometric leads, and forlorn march of the “Chauffeur’s” beat will be instantly familiar to any fan of the cold/minimal/new/dark/what have you wave(s), the charismatic web spun by the crooner-esque vocals and the overall precise but organic execution of this highly textural, affective piece distinguish it from the efforts of many other musicians who have ventured to or are currently exploring similarly bleak terrains. That’s not to imply that the music is in any way ubiquitous, rather that this particular stuff is going on the shelf beside some of our other favorites (see links above). The song manages a precise balance between intrigue and despair, making it the ideal soundtrack for that reckless high-speed drive along a coastal cliff road that you’ve been planning. Drive safely, be sure to watch for cyclists, and listen on repeat.
Femminielli’s split 7-inch with Araignée, a snappy pop collaboration between Dominic Vanchesteing and Bernardino Femminielli, is now available from Fixture Records
Written by Luke Carrell
Tags: Canada, Femminielli, montreal, Reviews, Tracks
Reviews
Briefly known as Slips and Sperma (sweet!!) from 1980-1983, MG15 are a group of (still-active!!) d-beat punks from Spain. The following cut is from their demo, Caos Final, which was the first non-7″ under their current name. Raw, violent, and burgeoning with unrest. –Ric Leichtung
Throne Records‘ re-issue of Caos Final is sold out, but you can grab a bunch of their single for free on the MG15 website
Tags: audio, Europe, mg15, Reviews, Spain, Tracks
Reviews
Perth, Australia’s Andrew Sinclair plays the role of shaman in “Ritual Beat / Stolen Drums,” a mystical jam from his recently self-released album, Evil Summer. A wave of distortion sets the scene before a primal, heavy exhalation initiates the ceremony: a manic drum circle intertwining with Sinclair’s quivering incantations and mesmerizing synth mantras. He injects the groovy momentum of Afrobeat into the dubbed-out psychedelia of Sun Araw, taking us on a rewarding spiritual journey in the process. –Matt Sullivan
MP3: Andrew Sinclair: “Ritual Beat / Stolen Drums”
You can download Evil Summer in its entirety (for free!) on Andrew Sinclair’s bandcamp
Tags: andrew sinclair, australia, perth, Reviews, Tracks
Reviews
Amazing Births is bona fide favorite Mark McGuire and drone king Julian Gulyas’ attempt to spread the good word that bright, gently picked guitar arrangements and micro-modulating synth need not be enemies. Clocking in at 11 minutes, “Eclipsed by the Younger Moon” is a blissful exploration that lends itself to cinematic flights of imagination and transcendental meditation, making your brain waves a little more delta shaped. While the melodic guitars call to mind the gentler work of Reilly or Wong, the synths are flitting between the stereo channels; preoccupied with creating a dynamic context for themselves. Don’t let the dissonant patches, hints of binaural beats, and lack of traditional percussion intimidate you: this could be your smooth AM Gold gateway to drone music. –Luke Carrell
MP3: Amazing Births: “Eclipsed By The Younger Moon”
The Younger Moon LP is now available from Cylindrical Habitat Modules
Tags: amazing births, julian gulyas, mark mcguire, North America, Reviews, Tracks, USA
Reviews
When we last heard from Paris’ Mascara Snake, he was busy weaving dense, bedroom-composed vignettes out of guitar, synth (specifically, the much misunderstood Quasimidi Sirius) and buddha machine on his premier EP, Red Indians. His latest release, entitled Alaska, finds him embracing a production method that not only allows his newly expanded palate of instruments the chance to differentiate themselves, but the melodies themselves a chance to innovate more freely as well. In the same vein, the ever more distinct lack of vocals and nominal use of percussion allow the songs’ subtle variations in rhythm and texture to grow in impact, even while denying the listener more blatant emotional guidance.
On the track “Friends Under the Snow,” this gauzy, contemplative feel is peppered with equal measures of sunny energy and a seeming nostalgia for the season past. Whistles and harmonica join distorted guitar over the guitar string harmonics that form the song’s unexpectedly potent groove. It’s a bite sized epic that grows and fades quickly, making it and ideal addition to a mixtape intended for some sunny afternoon.
Mascara Snake: “Friends Under the Snow”
Alaska is available for streaming and download on Bandcamp
Written by Luke Carrell
Tags: Europe, France, mascara snake, Reviews, Tracks
Reviews
Xiao Hong Yu Xiao Xiao Hong (小红与小小红, they translate the name as “Little Red, Small Little Red”) is a Beijing-based duo comprised of Zhao Cong and Zhu Wenbo. Wenbo is a prime mover among the younger generation of experimental musicians in Beijing. He organizes a weekly Tuesday-night noise showcase called Zoomin’ Night where a small but dedicated scene of college students and recent graduates experiment with no wave and modernist minimalism.
Like several of the Zoomin bands, Xiao Hong Yu Xiao Xiao Hong derives much of its aesthetic from the more minimal end of the krautrock spectrum– sparse synth “beats” and basic chordal structures pulled into repetitive lulls. “明天 (Tomorrow),” from their newly self-released cd Black Sheep, is characteristic of their approach. Zhu Wenbo establishes a careful, swelling background while Zhao Cong sings distantly and indeterminately into a contact mic. Towards the end of the track the atmosphere is disturbed by loose guitar stabs and a feedback crescendo. “Tomorrow” is the last track on Black Sheep, ending the disk with an ellipsis, or a coda leading naturally back to the feedback opening of opening track, “泰丽 (Tai Li)”. –Josh Feola, International Tapes via Pangbianr
Reach out to Xiao Hong Yu Xiao Xiao Hong for a copy of Black Sheep. You can also find ”Tomorrow” was also featured on the pangbianr underground b-sides compilation.
By Josh Feola
Tags: Asia, China, Reviews, Tracks, Xiao Hong Yu Xiao Xiao Hong
Reviews
If you like your waveforms squarish, your grooves deeply hidden, and your digital avatars white and fluffy, this vid for “Xerox,” the latest from Camberwell, UK’s My Panda Shall Fly, is definitely right up your rainbow-hued alley. The minimalist synth flurries and demure percussion of Sri Lankan born Suren Seneviratne are a perfect match for the accompanying tale of whimsical digital peril created by Daniel Swan and Soju Tanaka. Will our wooly protagonist make it safely through the constantly shifting world created for him/her? What will he do when he/she gets there? Would he/she be cool with letting us borrow a few of those stars? Crank your streaming resolution up to 480p and watch for answers.
The Sorry I Took So Long EP is now available from Growing Records
Written by Luke Carrell
Tags: England, Europe, my panda shall fly, Reviews, Tracks
Reviews
Prismatic overlays. Gritty VHS distortion. Vivid washes of adjusted color. Feverish streams of associative imagery. These are a few of our favorite things and just so happen to play the starring roles in Sean Patrick’s enticing visual accompaniment to Jonas Reinhardt’s “Smokey Jotus.” The San Francisco trio’s high energy synth psychedelia is particularly vigorous here, shoving the drums to the front of the mix and letting their melodies run uninhibited in a silky space of their own definition. Sunny day headphone candy abounds.
Jonas Reinhardt: “Smokey Jotus”
Jonas Reinhardt’s Music For The Tactile Dome will be available soon from Not Not Fun. In the meantime, refresh your memory with this lovely post from last month and stream two other tracks on Soundcloud. Additional eye-friendly from Sean Patrick is also available on his Cargo Collective page
Written by Luke Carrell
Tags: jonas reinhardt, North America, not not fun, Reviews, Tracks, USA
