Monday, 23 November 2015

Alternative Take: Super8 & Tab - Club 8 - Frameworks

Super8 & Tab - Komorebi.

Background - Since their collaboration in 2005, Super8 & Tab have released two Beatport trance number one artist albums, played at major music festivals all over the world, including EDC, Ultra, Tomorrowland and A State of Trance and been nominated ‘Best Breakthrough DJ’ at the Miami WMC IDMA Awards. Most recently, the duo was signed to colossal record company Armada Music and shows no signs of slowing down.

Things started happening for the Finnish duo in 2004, when Above & Beyond adopted each of them individually as the first members of the ever-growing Anjunabeats family. Super8 met Tab in 2005 at a recording studio and they soon start working together. Although they have grown with Anjuna and had multiple number one releases on the label, they’ve always put out records on other imprints too; the latest of which is Armada Music. In addition to being signed to two of the biggest labels in trance music, Super8 & Tab’s other achievements include two artist albums, four mix compilations, remixes for the likes of Armin van Buuren, Paul van Dyk, Ferry Corsten and BT and countless hit singles such as ‘Elektra,' ‘Irufushi,'  ‘L.A.’ and ‘Helsinki Scorchin.’’

In 2014 the duo released their second artist album ‘Unified’, which was celebrated with a string of Beatport Top 3 singles (‘Code Red’ with Jaytech, ‘Rubicon’ with 7Skies, and ‘No Frontiers’ and ‘Let Go’, both featuring Julie Thompson). To coincide with the release of ‘Unified’, the duo embarked on a five-month album tour, taking in more than 40 cities across North and South America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

'Komorebi' has that classic trance feel to start with, and then just goes somewhere special, wonderful and quite anthemic. This is an incredible piece of music.

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Club 8 - Late Nights.

Background - Club 8 and the new album 'Pleasure' just released (November 20). Swedish duo Club 8 celebrate 20 years as a band and return with their 9th album, “Pleasure”. For the album producer and songwriter Johan Angergård (The Legends, Pallers, Acid House Kings, Eternal Death) wrote almost 30 songs and then he and singer Karolina Komstedt chose to record eight of these. Just like most Club 8 albums from the last 14 years ”Pleasure” was recorded in their own studio, the ever changing Summersound Studios.

- ”Love dies” was the first song we recorded and it set the tone and work process for the whole album. It was written in a few hours and finished the day after. Vocals was captured on the first take. For me, this is not only our probably best album to date, it’s the the most well produced in every way. Still, we haven’t done an album this fast since ”Spring came, rain fell” in 2002, says Johan.

Club 8 has always seen themselves as an international band with no plans to succeed in their home country (but accidently succeeded anyway). - We never play live in Sweden and we’ve chosen not to do any interviews here in the last years. We love Sweden, of course, but why play here when you can tour Brazil or China? Or, more importantly, produce some new music! (Johan)

The duo has released their albums on more than 40 different labels located in more than 20 different countries (including labels in Indonesia, Spain, the UK, the US, Philippines, Japan, Ukraine, Italy, Brazil, Taiwan, China, South Korea, Malaysia and Thailand). They started out the Spanish label Siesta in 1995 and had a dance hit with “Missing you” on Labrador in Spain three years later. A few years later they were among the first to popularize indie pop, possibly the very first, in Indonesia and a driving force behind the creation of the entire indie scene in the country. In the last years they’ve seen their popularity grow rapidly in China and played audiences of 20.000 people in 2014. 2015 has certainly been a productive year for Club 8’s producer and songwriter Johan Angergård. “Pleasure” is his third album this year, his 9th with Club 8 and 21st album in total.

'Late Nights' is an upbeat and up tempo mix of synths and the dreamy voice of Karolina sits beautifully above it all. As far as the album goes, some songs are slower or softer, they all have the constant quality that is Club 8.

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Frameworks - Branches.

Background - British downtempo and instrumental hip hop producer Frameworks has teamed up with Emancipator’s label Loci Records for the release of his ‘Branches’ EP. Following his debut LP Tides, which was released with First Word Records earlier this year, the four-track ‘Branches’ EP sees Matthew Brewer, aka Frameworks, expand his cinematic soundscapes into bolder tempos with even more live instrumentation bringing an organic richness to his already warm compositions. 

The title track, “Branches,” brings bold, organic house grooves right out of the box. Delicate atmospherics are the hallmark of “Carry On,” which functions as the EP’s lead single. “The Movement” reunites Brewer with longtime collaborator Rioghnach Connolly, whose powerful vocal style penetrates the innovative foundation. Closing with “The Passenger,” Frameworks brings brassy, pulsing beats to a fanfare of a climax.

Brewer first became a part of the Loci Records family after opening for Emancipator at a UK tour stop, who then asked him to lead off his Dusk To Dawn remix album with a version of the title track. From there, it was only natural to release an EP with the imprint. He just recently finished up his first US tour, alongside Vibe Street and Dreamers Delight, and looks forward to hitting the road again soon.

First track off the EP 'Branches' typifies the overall quality of Frameworks new release. It's intricate, with an attention to detail, its also incredibly well composed and deserves a lot of attention.

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Saturday, 21 November 2015

Genre Mix: The Monikers - Eternals - Bloodhounds On My Trail

The Monikers - Friends Like These.

Background - The Monikers are a four piece indie rock band based in Adelaide, SA. Forming in early 2013, the guys have come together to create their own unique style of melodic, guitar- driven indie rock. Working hard over the past two years and delivering two EPs in the process, they have steadily built a reputation as one of the most fun live acts in Adelaide. The floor is always packed with people dancing along to their catchy tunes! 

‘Friends Like These’ was recorded and produced in SAE Studios, Adelaide, by Michael Carver. It’s an upbeat-party song with some dark undercurrents. Punchy and guitar- driven, it’s friendly demeanour somewhat conceals the more serious subject matter of the song. 

“It’s probably the happiest and saddest song I’ve ever written. Definitely the most personal” - Andy Mackenzie. You can catch The Monikers in Adelaide on 12/12/15 at The Ed Castle and in Melbourne on 8/1/15 at Mr Boogie Man Bar.

The Monikers are a good reminder that keeping music simple, unpretentious and danceable tends to make it timeless and popular. 'Friends Like These' seemingly skips along with fine 'earthy' vocals accompanied by a band that know their business. Go on, play it and try and stay still...

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Eternals - Out Of Context.

Biography - Drawing equally from contemporary greats such as Wilco, Spoon and Sparklehorse, and classic pop and rock experimentalists like Brian Eno and John Cale, Somerville, MA’s Eternals are the perfect collusion of timeless sounds with an ambitious sonic language.

Songwriter Stephen Konrads writes like an arranger, and arranges like a cinematographer. A multi-instrumentalist of intense versatility, he is acutely aware of the fallacy of technique over content, and keeps his sonic landscape stark & muscular. Wayne Whittaker, bass; Harrison Seiler, drums; Eric Bolton, guitar contribute a spare, smouldering power that recalls the restrained prowess of classic American rhythm sections.

For the better part of ten years, members of Eternals have collaborated with numerous musicians in the Boston area, including Marissa Nadler, Thalia Zedek and members of Passion Pit, Titus Andronicus, Haerts, Lucius, Foxygen, and Diane Coffee. The band began arranging original material in 2013, and recorded their debut full-length to analog tape at the Soul Shop in Medford, MA. Following the album’s release in 2014, the band toured regionally and landed opening slots for acclaimed acts, including Wild Nothing, Caveman and Bishop Allen. 

On their forthcoming full-length, Isn’t That Anyone, Eternals seek to expand their brand of atmospheric Americana. “Out Of Context”, the record’s first single, is a compactly arranged folk song buoyed by warm electronic ambiance reminiscent of Brian Eno or Daniel Lanois. The band co-produced the song alongside engineer Aaron Bastinelli, who has worked with thousands of artists including Bono, The Roots and The Hold Steady.

'Out Of Context' is the first song I have heard by this band, and I am really impressed. OK so there is plenty of name checking in the bio above, however in the end, its the music that "makes it, or breaks it", and this one just stands out on so many levels.

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Bloodhounds On My Trail - Jolly. (from the EP Escape II).

Background - It's no secret that Australia has a burgeoning shoegaze scene. From within the burgeoning Melbourne shoegaze community, Bloodhounds On My Trail are set to release ‘Escape II’ internationally through US label Moon Sounds Records. where they join a healthy roster with such notable bands as Ceremony, The Foreign Resort, Dead Leaf Echo, Static Daydream, and Follow The Sea. This deluxe edition of their debut EP ‘Escape’ will also feature additional tracks ‘She’s In My Plans’ and a remix of ‘Jolly’ by celebrated dreampop duo Ummagma.

Bloodhounds are Johnny Green (guitar, vocals), Chris Donaldson (guitar), Nik Donaldson (drums) and Ché Walden (bass). With a love of shoegaze bands of the late 1980s to early 90s, Bloodhounds On My Trail seek to fuse the rhythmic underpinnings of bands like the Velvet Underground and the Stooges with the infectious stylings of shoegaze luminaries such as Cocteau Twins and Slowdive. 

Since playing their first show in February 2014, the band has been blossoming through a whirlwind combination of live shows, festivals and recording sessions. Their music was met with positive reactions, encouraging press, and invitations to play with notable Australian artists such as Lowtide, Contrast, and White Walls. Thanks to Tonedeaf and Gabe Lewis from Lowtide, one of the foremost shoegaze acts in Australia, Bloodhounds on My Trail began to be known as one of the best Aussie shoegaze acts around. "They sound like how I want my guitars to sound," Gabe explains. "Needless to say, I was immediately hooked. Really languid, cascading washes, and wearing their pastoral shoegaze influences on their sleeves.”

All of this prompted the band to formally commit their hazy tones to tape at Birdland Studios with renowned engineer and producer Matthew Hosking, who was the perfect match for the band - also being deeply immersed in shoegaze music and having a record of outstanding work with fellow shoegazers Lowtide, Contrast, vhs dream and Hideous Towns. This year has also seen the band gain momentum with appearances at local gaze festivals alongside Flyying Colours, Immigrant Union, Black Cab and Day Ravies.

In all honesty I have to be in the right mood to listen to shoegaze music these days. Across this EP, there is enough variety, rather than a constant wall of noise, to keep it interesting and enjoyable. I guess my Cocteau Twins obsession, sets the bar high, however for me, 'Bloodhounds On My Trail' certainly fall into the 'ones to watch' category.

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The Ocean Blue - First Three Albums Reissued

The Ocean Blue - City Traffic.

And the facts - The Ocean Blue reissued its first three albums on vinyl yesterday (Nov. 20th) via Shelflife Records / Korda Records - this includes The Ocean Blue (1989), Cerulean (1991) and Beneath The Rhythm and Sound (1993). Cerulean and Beneath are being issued on vinyl for the first time ever. The band will also perform their S/T debut and Cerulean in full on fall tour (final dates below).  

The Ocean Blue's debut record on the famed Sire Records label in 1989 achieved widespread acclaim and radio & MTV airplay. The band of four high schoolers from Hershey, Pennsylvania went on to do two more well-received records for Sire, the atmospheric Cerulean and alt-pop Beneath the Rhythm and Sound, and a fourth record for Mercury/PolyGram, See The Ocean Blue, before leaving the majors in the late 90s. The band did several independent releases in the 2000s, including Davy Jones Locker and Waterworks, and in 2013 released their first full length record in over 10 years, Ultramarine, on Korda Records, a new Minneapolis cooperative label that the band helped launch in late 2012. A new full length record is in the works and slated for release in 2016.

Remaining dates:
11/21 - Washington, DC - Jammin Java
11/22 - Lancaster, PA - Chameleon Club.

I guess 'City Traffic' makes a good introduction to those who for whatever reason missed out on The Ocean Blue first time around. The band produce some exceptional music and hopefully these vinyl reissues will help spark wider interest again. There is also a reissue sampler with a further three tracks, and of course the bands music is available in other formats. Enjoy!

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Friday, 20 November 2015

Friday With: Barons Of Hiddenhausen - Renders

Barons Of Hiddenhausen - Realm Of The Edge (V.2).

Background - Barons Of Hiddenhausen is based out of Vienna, and is an experimental "one man duo" founded in 2012.. I grew up near the "Waterwoods", an isolated place in the upper Austrian outskirts. I was handed a guitar pick by BB King when I was 11 years old for being the youngest person at the show. A year later I begged my father to buy me an electric guitar. 

After being in several bands I decided to move to Vienna and locked myself up in a small flat for two years to start writing my first debut album. I recorded and mixed it entirely alone on just one macbook and decided to self release it by late 2012. It was around the very same time when an opportunity came along to collaborate on Digital Noise Academy in Los Angeles with one of my childhood hero's, Ken Andrews (Failure, M83, A.P.C.).

From a five track EP 'Realm Of The Edge (V.2)' has a chunky, deep and at times quite edgy vibe flowing through it. All five tracks have a distinct sound, that mixes power and precision with energy and determined vocals. Together the five songs are both moody and majestic.
 
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Renders - I Am Gone.

Background words - Renders recently released her debut single ‘I Am Gone'. The track was produced by Mark Andrade of the band Paradise Animals.

Empowerment and Independence: the standard of purity and truth is reclaimed through the heart. The repetition of the honesty of love is imbued in the song writing, crystallised in the synth chords, and rendered with the strength of willing autonomy. We've all had our hearts broken; we've all felt lonely; but not all of us have stood tall and free; pushed back when pushed over. 'I Am Gone' does just that: takes a stand and raises a collective fist.

Kelly McMichael, aka Renders aka the new pop princess, pours her sensitive heart into this debut single. Asserting herself in the discourse of pop music, Renders is a love letter to herself and the state of moving on. Renders is deliberate: Renders is becoming: Renders is providing: Renders is Kelly McMichael.

We featured Paradise Animals not that long ago. The production by band member Mark Andrade on this song is good, however what really helps, is having a vocalist of the calibre of Kelly McMichael (Renders), and a beautiful song to go with her. A song that is good for the soul.

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Gilanares - Lauren Freebird - The Jaws of Brooklyn

Photo - Eden Mili Gilanares - Cat's out of the bag / If Chaos killed the dinosaurs. New York-based artist Gilanares releases “Cat’s out...