SELF-RELEASED, 2012 // DIGITAL
Stunning piece of dark ambient paired with intense drones courtesy of Toronto-based ambient metal duo Northumbria (@NorthumbriaDoom). The track is available up for grabs from their Bandcamp page here. So, so good!
Just a quick heads up for those in or around Los Angeles this weekend: Three of my favorite acts will be performing at Los Globos in Silverlake this coming Saturday, May 5th: Demdike Stare, Tropic of Cancer and Vatican Shadow (live debut). I saw Demdike Stare live at Unsound in New York two weeks ago and they blew my mind. So, yeah.. this event is not to be missed if you can make it down there.
Facebook event page / $12 tickets here.
HOSPITAL PRODUCTIONS, 2012 // CASSETTE / BUY: CASSETTE / DIGITAL
Christian Cosmos is a collaborative effort between Dominick Fernow of Prurient/Vatican Shadow and Kris Lapke of Alberich. Enthronement By God As The First-Born Of The Dead fuses the synh-friendly sound of Fernow’s Prurient and Vatican Shadow projects with the heavier and more distorted sound of Alberich. Expect powerful electronics, celestial drones and distorted noise throughout the entire 37+ minutes. If you liked Prurient’s Bermuda Drain LP from last year, then you need to check this out asap. The album was initially released on Fernow’s own Hospital Productions label as 4 x cassette set, but it is now available digitally from various online outlets.
M=MINIMAL, 2011 // LP / BUY: VINYL / CD / DIGITAL
Another fine LP from the ever-interesting German imprint M=Minimal has found its way into my record collection recently. This label has been on my watchlist for quite some time now, consistently putting out interesting records and reissues. Andreas Reihse is a Berlin-based musician, mostly known as one of the members of electronic pop band called Kreidler. Romantic Comedy is another one of his rare solo outings: long, percussion-driven and club-friendly tracks that resemble the sound of vintage krautrock and early Kraftwerk.
Born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sebastian Oliwa has been a fan of analog synthesizers for quite a while. I stumbled upon one of his tracks while reading my daily dose of music blogs recently and kindly asked him to do a mixtape for me.
Sebastian says that his musical output is heavily influenced by the so-called ‘three faces’ of his musical personality: classical music, the ethnic music from Africa and Asia, and all forms and types of music made with synthesizers. He doesn’t use any kind of drums or percussions in his tracks, but he loves to use sampled classical instruments, such as strings and horns. He’s got a couple of digital releases available for download from his Bandcamp page, so check them out.
‘The Three Faces’ mixtape tracklist:
Boards Of Canada – M9
Stellar Om Source – The Oracle
Oliwa – Animal
CFCF – Break-In
Javanese Court Gamelan – Ketawang Puspawarna
Daft Punk – The Son Of Flynn
Oliwa – Ocean Fire
Oneohtrix Point Never – Stress Waves Cruelty
Boards Of Canada – Carcan
Studio – Life’s A Beach
Oliwa – Enlightened By Gnostic Fire
Solar Fields – Altered Second Movements
DOWNLOAD: Oliwa – The Three Faces Mixtape [Official.fm]
This has been all over the internets this week.. so, yeah, I’m re-blogging it as well.
SESSION 1: John Peel BBC session at Maida Vale Studio, London (Oct. 8, 1998)
SESSION 2: Live in Birmingham (Oct. 30, 2001)
Download here.
UPDATE 03/27/2012: Here’s a direct download link for both tracks, zipped: right click, save as.
IN PHAZE RECORDS, 1982 // CASSETTE
What a spectacular synth track from a largely unknown British new wave band called Solid Space! Recorded in 1982 and only released on cassette. Reissue, anyone?
ANCIENT METHODS, 2012 // 12″ / BUY: VINYL
The latest transmission from Berlin-based techno imprint Ancient Methods (#6) serves up three tracks of looped, no-nonsense industrial techno courtesy of Ugandan Methods – a collaboration project of Regis (Karl O’Connor, aka Ugandan Speed Trials) and Ancient Methods. Truth be told, most of the AM stuff is way too heavy for my taste but this EP pulls the right strings. Devastating, especially the A-side.
Here’s a quick rundown of mixes I’ve been enjoying recently:
Rrose (Sandwell District) – Electronique.it Podcast 153
The mysterious Sandwell District producer Rrose supplies a podcast for Electronique featuring tracks from Miles, Joey Beltram, Conforce, Jeff Mills, and many others. There’s also an unreleased mix of his/her own track “Waterfall” featured towards the end of the mix.
Unseen Selectors – Graphite North Mix Volume 010
Four words: jaw on the floor. Epic, dark, spooky, violent. Demdike Stare, Haxan Cloak, Ekoplekz, Forest Swords, etc. This podcast series consistently delivers the goods.
Tropic of Cancer: Her Will Mixtape by Camella Lobo
Another fine mixtape courtesy of Camella Lobo of Tropic Of Cancer. If you happen to enjoy this mix, then you’ll need to grab this one asap.
100% SILK, 2012 // LP / BUY: VINYL / DIGITAL
936 by Peaking Lights (released on the LA-based Not Not Fun Records) has been hyped to death as one of the best albums of 2011. Honestly, I’m not sure why as I find the album to be nothing special, maybe even a bit boring. Anyway. Not Not Fun sister label 100% Silk just dropped a nice 12″ featuring remixes of tracks from 936 by fellow Silk artists Ital, Innergaze, Xander Harris and Cuticle. I like the old-school drum programming and acid house feel of Innergaze’s rework of “Shines For U”. The track has a nice analog vibe to it that just works.