2012 through my (biased) eyes: February (Looking Back)

In a slight change from the usual I’ve included a section on releases that we didn’t recommend but liked (to varying degress) during January and February. The other change is that the post was getting so long that we’ve created a separate post for March’s recommendations.

Some releases we missed in January and February

Air – “La Voyage Dans La Lune” (Astralwerks Records)

This new soundtrack album for the George Melies short film of the same name is a return to form for Air who seemed to have lost their way in the last few years. Though the album sticks to a lot of soundtrack staples timpani, strings, brass, analogue synths and signifiers it’s still an effective and enjoyable listen. The album is reasonable varied but tracks generally fall into two camps that more obvious soundtrack pieces based around piano, timpani and strings – ‘Astronomic Club’, ‘Retour Sur Terre’, ‘Moon Fever’, ‘Who Am I Now’ (which strongly recalls Popol Vuh’s soundtrack work) and closing track ‘Lava’ and more upbeat groove driven tracks – ‘Seven Stars’ with its heavy bass groove & flapping drums pattern, the thundering drums and the prog rock sci-fi synths of ‘Parade’ and ‘Sonic Armada’ and ‘Cosmic Trip’s twinkling synths, driving bass and breakbeats. Though the album loses direction and fails to deliver its ideas towards the end it’s still well worth checking out, especially as it comes with a DVD of Melies masterpiece.

Nina Kraviz – “Nina Kraviz” (ReKids Records)

Russian DJ Nina Kraviz has released previously for Cocoon and Bpitch and played DJ sets in some of Europe’s best-known clubs with a residency at Moscow’s Propaganda club. Her self-titled and self-produced debut album serves to solidify the progress made so far without deviating from the emotive deep house she is known for. “Nina Kraviz” is a highly personal and intimate album; her voice, usually the first take recording, dominates over deep house grooves and luxuriant synthesisers. The album’s highlights, such as ‘Working’, ‘Fire’ ‘False Attraction’ and the chilly techno of ‘4 Ben’ (which is rumoured to be dedicated to her boyfriend Ben Klock, the DJ and producer) showcase Kraviz’s knowledge of constructing DJ sets that build and drop then punch at the right moment. ‘Working’ is one example of her ability to tease the audience by gradually and urgently elevating the tension then ending on a sudden climax. Overall, though, “Nina Kraviz” is hit and miss; a few inclusions, such as ‘Taxi Talk’ and ‘Choices’, don’t add anything to the album’s narrative and for the number that don’t quite deliver it is perhaps too long at 14 tracks. Transitioning from DJing and producing 12”s to releasing an album can be a difficult feat; “Nina Kraviz” proves this. While not an essential techno/house release it is evident that Kraviz has worked hard to try to make the album sit together like a cohesive DJ set and the highlights are a testament to this, making it a release that is worth checking out.

Black Bananas – “Rad Times Xpress IV”  (Drag City)

Black Bananas is a new project from Jennifer Herrema (ex-Royal Trux) that maintains the line-up of previous project RTX but subtle changes the bands overall sound. Where previously the dominate sound was a lo-fi take on rock ‘n’ roll and classic 70’s rock they are replaced by a sound derived from the 70’s P-Funk pioneers Parliament/Funkadelic. The guitar techniques of P-Funk guitarist Eddie Hazel are particularly prominent though this is no bad thing another influence that instantly jump out are the Dub of King Tubby and Lee ‘Scratch Perry. What’s most surprising and indeed pleasing is the album’s pop music feel where I expected an overly lo-fi album covered in fuzz and the smeared sound that lo-fi recording creates I was instead present with a mix that was balanced between the dirty elements and those with more clarity. Herrerma hasn’t changed over the years and though the music content has shifted slightly the lyrical content remains the same, she’s a rock ‘n’ roller and always will be this isn’t a real problem on this album and suits the music well. This isn’t ‘serious music’ per se and shouldn’t be treated as such, it’s a dirty pop thrill and all the better for it. If this a permanent change of direction then Herrema may well find a seam that she dig into, if not then at least we have this gem of an album. Check out the album’s title track here.

Claro Intelecto – “Second Blood” EP (Delsin)

“Second Blood” is an elegantly slow, almost seductive EP released on the Netherland’s Delsin label, which is also home to Redshape and analogue-loyal techno producer Morphosis. The title track contains static hisses and an agile, skulking synth that is pulled along by the considerate use of side-chaining on every bar which gives the bass line a cushioned effect under airy chords. ‘Heart’ is woozy and lethargic, recalling Wolfgang Voigt’s GAS in its use of placid ambience and the barely-there bass drum.  At 115bpm, ‘Voyeurism’ is the EP’s fastest track. The softly pumping chords and arpeggio synth line are near dub-techno. After the lethargy of the two previous tracks the seductively grooving bass line gives ‘Voyeurism’ a spirited potency while a round bass drums push the track forward. “Second Blood” is a brilliant downtempo techno EP from an artist who infrequently releases material.

Ekoplekz – “Dromilly Vale EP” (Public Information Records)

Ekoplekz’s new EP for Public Information is a more abstract and sounds similar to some of the tracks on his “Intrusive Incidentals Vol. 1” album from last year. This combined with a structural arcs were tracks start off relatively sparse before building into dense collages of synths, organ and sound effects. If I had to pick highlights (the whole EP is excellent) they’d be the dissonant ‘Jugglin’ Fer Jesus’ (which title is a play on Ekoplekz hero’s Cabaret Voltaire’s ‘Sluggin’ Fer Jesus’) and ‘Clayton Freak’ with its slow creepy feel of horror movie and BBC Radiophonic material. The whole EP is shoot through the Ekoplekz own brand of dub delirium and is all the better for it. The bonus tracks are well worth the price of an e-mail address, one being a Dub mix of the EP’s other BBC Radiophonic Workshop influenced track ‘Dick Mill’s Blues’ and ‘Rotamotion’ a lighter bubbling take on the dark dance material of Ekoplekz’s recent “Westerleigh Works EP” for Perc Trax.

Biggest Disappointment of the Month

Harmonious Thelonius – “Listens” (Italic Records)

The abrasive combination of American minimalism’s condensed patterns, European melodies and African-inspired rhythms that made “Talking”, Harmonious Thelonious’ (Stefan Schwander) debut album, sound so raw, urgent and exceptional are replaced by a more accessible, light South American-style palette and a larger focus on melody. Yet the mix is overly compressed leaving “Listen” sounding flat and airless with nothing to allow the melodies to shine or excite. It is my understanding that the album was recorded in a studio yet audience noise can be heard in the background, which seems like a poor attempt to inject interest into lifeless tracks. As with his previous album, Schwander’s passion and knowledge of these musical styles are clear and while there are glimpses that prove there is more territory to explore in this direction, there is very little, save the rich, complex ‘Drums Of Steel’ and ‘Trans-Harmonic System’, that has the grit, energy and, ultimately, the excitement of “Talking”.

Sleigh Bells – “Reign of Terror” (Mom & Pop)

A disappointing return for an act that promised so much two years ago. ‘Reign of Terror’ won’t be getting many repeat plays by me. It’s not all bad in fact the band show that they’ve progressed with new ethereal sounds and digital synths a recurring presence throughout the album. However, the band rarely convince on ‘Reign of Terror’ which is severely lacking in the ‘can’t get out of brain’ hooks department, the whole thing comes off a little flat. In addition to this the band’s love of 80’s hair metal aesthetics quick becomes grating, the opening track (‘True Shred Guitar’)  a particularly cringe worthy example of this with its crowd noise and the AC/DC riff that follows falls flat too. Nothing on this album comes close to what the band had previously achieved though it shows that they aren’t one trick ponies it’s just their other tricks aren’t that good unfortunately.

Olafur Arnalds – “Another Happy Day OST” (Erased Tapes)

Olafur Arnalds soundtrack for the film “Another Happy Day” does what it says on, fulfilling its purpose though a majority of the songs failure to translate without the images it accompanies. This by no means a bad album and the highlights, the haunting ‘Poland’, the creepy and foreboding ‘Out to Sea’ and the opener ‘Land of Nod’ are all great additions to Arnalds back catalogue. However the rest of the album leaves a little to be desired, yes they work on a functional level and there’s nothing wrong with that but they don’t rise to the heights of Arnalds last album ‘… And They Escaped The Weight of Darkness’ (2010). Perhaps the biggest disappointment is the closing track ‘Everything Must Change’ after spending half of the track six and a half minute length bringing the tracks main elements (twinkling piano, scratchy pizzicato violin, a deep doomy bass line, clattering reverb heavy percussion and ghostly voices and violin) only for when the whole thing starts to coalesce to drop everything to a lone violin, a massive anti climax that destroys the tension and energy that had been built up.

The Belbury Poly – “The Belbury Tales” (Ghost Box)

“The Belbury Tales” is a very 50/50 album while some tracks are little more than good facsimiles of their influences others (especially in the album’s second half) manage to rise above being the sum of their parts and match more recent production techniques and style particularly hip-hop style breakbeats into an already heady and complex brew. The first half of the record suggests good ideas with its mix of elements but fails to deliver sounding flat and unimaginative, it’s hard to pinpoint why these tracks fail whereas the second includes a handful of gems. These include the gorgeous interweaving synth melodies of ‘Summer Round’, the fuzz coated ‘Chapel Perilous’, the irresistibly funky ‘Goat Foot’, and the chilling ‘My Hands’. The first reference point that springs to mind is Broadcast and The Focus Groups “…Investigate Witch Cults of The Radio Age” but with a the use of guitars, bass, drums, ocarina, zithers and melodica adding energy and a wider colour palette. When the album hits its heights it’ll put a smile on your face but for the remainder of the tracks its just mildly diverting.

Loops of Your Heart – “And Never Ending Nights” (Magazine Records)

“And Never Ending Nights” is true to traditional kosmische musik artists, in particular, Cluster whose albums were created using a small palette of instruments, sounds and textures.  In the absence of drums, the synthesiser arpeggios create the rhythm. Thick basslines are balanced by synths that shimmer, cut and swell; fast arpeggios provide mantra-like qualities over ethereal pads. In “And Never Ending Nights”, Axel Willner has provided another example of the German electronic music practice of letting the music flow albeit in a controlled manner, which creates most of its tension, while, as with his main project The Field, showcasing his skill in restrained and effective song writing.  The album is a lesson in simplicity and stripped composition and the mid-section provides the highlights; ‘End’ and ‘Cries’ are two of Willner’s most emotive compositions yet while ‘Neukölln’ and  ‘Lost In The Mirror’ are the most transparent in revealing the German influences. The former, named after a Berlin district, features the voices of young children speaking German under layers of synths that gently swell and wobble in the style of Cluster and aesthetics of Harmonia.

Peter Broderick – “http://www.itstartshear.com” (Bella Union)

The new album by Peter Broderick picks up where he left with his last solo release “Music for Confluence” left off and features the same basic instrumentation acoustic/electric guitar, piano and violin. However, there are subtle and not so subtle ways this album manages to differentiate its self from “Music for Confluence”, firstly this isn’t a film soundtrack and thus allows Broderick more freedom of expression. The most obvious ways this freedom is expressed is the album brighter and sometimes more upbeat sound and the fact that Broderick’s lead vocals (which sometimes sound a little like Arthur Russell) dominate whereas only backing vocals were present on “Music for Confluence”. In fact the album features a lot more melodic materials full stop and married with Broderick’s expert use of harmony, reverb and others effects to create atmosphere it makes for much more dynamic material. Throughout the album Broderick successfully tightrope walks between accessibility and push the listener beyond their expectations. He achieves not only with his melodic work and use of effects but also unpredictable song structures on ‘With The Notes on Fire’ (like two songs in one), ‘Colin’ (which initially sounds like the rest of the album before the introduction of percussion pushes the song in a new direction and ‘Asleep’ and its use of crowd source readings of the lyrics from around the world that disorient and delight in equal measure. “Music for Confluence” is a great album and “http://www.itstartshear.com” is its equal and perfect companion piece.

Contender for Debut Album of the Year

Ital – “Hive Mind” (Planet Mu)

Ital’s debut album makes for an interesting listening experience, though this is dance music, it’s unlike to set many dance floors alight. However, this doesn’t make it the album a failure; in fact its inverting of house and techno music structures is a thrilling and disorienting experience. Though by no means a direct comparison its seems that Ital is attempting something similar to Axel Willner aka The Field though Willner inverts the structures of techno, Ital disrupts and stretches them to their limits. Another indirect reference point is that of Cabaret Voltaire’s 80’s era music (and founder Richard H. Kirk’s work as part of Sweet Exorcist, recently anthologised by Warp Records) this seems to a constant in the drum and the influence crops up most obvious on ‘First Wave’ with added disorienting rhythms and synths. The most obvious direct influence outside of dance music is the kosmiche musick of Cluster, Harmonia and to a less extent Tangerine Dream, in fact ‘Floridian Void’ (the highlight of the album) sounds a little like a dark techno take on fellow American kosmiche musick enthusiast Emeralds. I feel sure that the debate about ‘Hive Mind’ will continue throughout the year as it could well turn to be one of those albums the confounds and confuses as much as it thrills and provokes thoughtful analysis.

Top Release of the Month

Blondes – “Blondes” (RVNG ITNL)

Blondes self titled debut album is one that hard to do justice to without its sounding like a repetitive bore-fest, which it is far from. The duo fit into both the modern dance music camp alongside the likes of The Field, Gui Boratto and other Kompakt techno alumni and alongside modern Ambient and hynagogic pop acts such as Laurel Halo, Teengirl Fantasy and Rene Hell amongst others. Blondes manage to fuse these two opposites together in way that plays to the strengths of both, you never feel the dance elements are getting bogged down by the atmospherics or that the atmospherics are dominated by the dance elements. The duo encompass a range of emotions across the album from the brighter tracks like ‘Gold’ and ‘Amber’ to the dark and subdued ‘Pleasure via drowned Kraftwerkian synth work on ‘Business’ and foggy tension of ‘Water’. One of the album’s strength is that despite the amount of recycling there is (every second track is a re-versioning of the previous track) the variety on show is impressive as is the duo’s ability to keep the listener engaged and excited by these same/similar elements. Blondes have not only created a contender for Debut Album of the Year but an early contender for the Album of the Year itself.

2012 through my (biased) eyes: January (Looking Back)

January was a surprisingly busy month with the music industry stopping only to catch its breath over Christmas and New Year before getting back into the swing of things straight away. Annoyingly there’s has been a lot of confusion over two of the albums we recommended so we’ve not been able to pass comment on Harmonious Thelonious “Listens” and Loop of Your Heart’s ” And Never Ending Nights”.

Biggest Disappointment of the Month

Matthew Dear – “Headcage EP” (Ghostly International)

Matthew Dear’s “Headcage” EP is not so much a disappointment as a mixed bag that doesn’t quite achieve its aims though overall Dear comes out on top. The title track sets the tone with the influence of Brian Eno and Jon Hassell’s Fourth Music and modern synth music artists Oneohtrix Point Never and Laurel Halo. In fact ‘Headcage’ reminds me of ‘Head’ by Laurel Halo only 95% of mix hasn’t been drowned in reverb. The biggest disappointment is ‘In The Middle (I Met You There) feat. Johnny Pierce the song starts well enough with Dear’s pitched vocals and moody synths but when the music drops and Pierce’s vocals come in it’s a big letdown from then on. Things pick up a little with ‘Street Song’ the lead synth melody recalling Oneohtrix Point Never and Dear producing some pleasing tricks with his vocals, however these ideas aren’t developed fully and the song peters out. Finally ‘Around A Fountain’ reaches the heights of the title track with heavily compressed percussion, sighing backing vocals and Dear’s processed lead vocals dominating the intro before the lead vocal enters and gives the track a central focus, this is glues the track together. The track recalls similar influences to the others and Talking Heads. Though not firing on all cylinders on this EP it still feels like Dear will probably deliver on his new album “Beams” due later this year.

Oliveray – “Wonders” (Erased Tapes)

The début album by Oliveray (aka Peter Broderick and Nils Frahms) switches between vocal lead folk songs and ambient instrumentals, though even the folk tracks are grounded in ambience. Multi instrumentalist Broderick’s guitar/violin compliment Frahms vocals and piano even when Broderick push into harder or more abstract sounds. Though I prefer the instrumentals (Frahms voice is still growing on me) their cover of ‘Harmonics’ by Efterklang and album closer ‘Dreamer’ both hit the spot. Of the ambient pieces organic opener ‘Growing Waterwings’, the effects heavy ambience of ‘Piano in the Pond’ and the desolate twanging guitar and soft reverbed piano of ‘Hiding Hydiration’ stand out. Though this album doesn’t match Broderick’s recent solo album “Music For Confluence” (or A Winged Victory for the Sullen self titled début which also featured Broderick) it’s well worth investigation. I’ve only scratched the surface of both these artists vast back catalogues and so this may well turn to be one of the finest efforts of their repetitive careers to date and the album does feel like a grower.

Ekoplekz – “Westerleigh Works EP” (Perc Trax)

This EP has been talked about/marketed as Ekoplekz’s first venture into dance floor territory and listening to it you can hear why. However, Ekplekz still keeps his trademark sounds front and centre but the EP uses space more effectively and percussive sounds and deep bass provide the forward motion need. Of the three originals ‘Ekoplatz’ sounds most like his previous material while being underpinned by techno bass and percussion, the other two ‘Narco Samba’ and ‘Xylem Teardrops’ fill more stripped and danceable, while Richard H. Kirk (Cabaret Voltaire) remix of ‘Ekoplatz’ follows a similar template but adds electronic woodblocks, more structural dynamics and some of Kirk’s own idiosyncratic dub sounds. A highly recommended release for those into the darker side of dance music.

Early Contender for Debut Album of the Year

Islet – “Illuminted People”

Islet’s “Illuminated People is a confident and self-assured debut album from an ambitious band fusing together influences that seem to range from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs to Fuck Buttons via the Boredoms, shoegaze and folk music. The opening one-two punch of ‘Libra Man’ and ‘This Fortune’ perfectly demonstrate the band ability to bring together these influences to forge their own sound and also that their not just about the sonics but the tunes too. The briefly slacken the pace of the intro of ‘Entwined Pines’ before the drums double up and the tension builds before dropping to a Cocteau Twins style verse before post-punk guitars and synth grind away for the second of the song. ‘What We Done Wrong’ repeats the same trick but with male and female vocals play off each other. Islet show they can do subtle and simple on the folk-y ‘We Bow’ and soft vocals and feedback of  ‘A Warrior Who Longs to Grow Herbs’. The album gets even more eclectic in its second half with two post-rock style songs in ‘Filia’ and ‘Funicular’, the drum machine and tropical sounding synths of ‘Shores’ and the album closer ‘A Bear On Its Own’  with its creepy stabby synth outro, stuttering organ and duelling male and female vocals. My only really complaint is that one of the male vocalist struggles to make his notes in a way that grates other than that this is an impressive and memorable debut album from a band who could have a bright future.

Top Release of the Month

Errors – “Have Some Faith In Magic” (Rock Action)

Errors have been steadily evolving their own sound since their début EP back in 2006 and new album “Have Some Faith In Magic” is no different. What’s interesting about this album is how it seems to refer more modern influences such as James Ferraro and the chillwave/hypnagogic pop acts he has inspired so the newly introduced vocals come coated in reverb and sometimes other effects and there’s a simmering quality and multi coloured feel to the music. In addition this the band fine melodic and structural sense is not only still in place but has moved on another step, enough that they attract attention outside of their cult fan base. Particularly potent tunes include the single ‘Pleasure Palaces’ and its dance floor grooves which remind me of Washed Out and Blondes, the spritely soul inspired rhythms of ‘Barton Spring’ and ‘Blank Media’’s one of the simplest songs the band have written, which they pull off with aplomb. Elsewhere there’s almost rock guitar on opener ‘Tusk’ which also introduces one of the albums dominate sounds that of the twinkling arpeggio, however the songs are so varied that this recurring sound doesn’t grate. I had high hopes for this album after hearing ‘Magna Encarta’ and ‘Earthscore’ and Errors have met them and overcome the problems commonly associated with making a bigger leap in the evolution of a bands sound. They’ve written music that not only moves them forward but also seems primed for the bigger stages they’ll play on this year, after one play it feels this album and band can only get better.

Recommendations – February

Marcel Dettmann – “Landscape” out now (Music Man Records)

Released on the same label as his “Conducted” mix and following on from the “Translation” EP, the key feature of ‘Landscape’ is a muted melody that swells and deflates under Dettmann’s trademark thudding and scraping drums, providing a pivotal building-to-peak-time track for a DJ to throw in a set. A remix from the upcoming Answer Code Request pushes ‘Landscape’ into the pure peak time territory that the original teases the listener with.

Harmonious Thelonious – “Listens” out now (Italic)

Italic will release the follow-up to 2010’s Congotronics influenced ‘Talking’ with an new album that we at Sonic Fiction hope continues this artist’s unique combination of “American minimalism vs. African drumming vs. European sequencing”.

Blondes – “Blondes” 6th February (RVNG Itnl)

The début album from one of our favourite new acts on Sonic Fiction on RVNG Itnl who are shaping up to be the label of year (can’t wait for Julia Holter and the Sun Araw/The Congos collaboration albums later this year). The album collects together the duo’s pureistic and all analogue 12″ singles from last year plus a extra disc of remixes featuring the likes of Laurel Halo, Rene Hell and Teengirl Fantasy among others. Despite this pureistic approach this isn’t dance music by numbers and seems to incoraparate some influences from ambient music and the kosmische music of Cluster and their current peers such as Halo and Hell. Stream Blondes album here.

Loops Of Your Heart – ‘And Never Ending Nights’ 13^th February (Magazine Records)

After his career ascension with “Looping State Of Mind”, The Field (Axel Willner) has created the side project Loops Of Your Heart. “And Never Ending Nights” is immersed in German influence and celebrates the country’s tradition of musical restraint that is exemplified in kosmiche musik names such as Cluster and Harmonia. The sampled voices of children speaking German on the lead track “Neukölln”, named after the Berlin district.

Peter Broderick – “http://www.itstartshear.com” 20th February 2012 (Bella Union)

Broderick’s new solo album is called “http://www.itstartshear.com” because though he has no problem with people downloading his music, Broderick sees the problems with pieces of information and artwork that can go missing and complete the experience. So he’s set-up a website where everything to do with the album can be accessed by anyone whatever format they’ve bought/got the album in.

Produced by Nils Frahm (Broderick’s partner in Oliveray) at his Durton Studio in Berlin and Broderick says “it is my first project on which the sonic timbre of the songs was treated equally as important as the music itself. I have been in awe of the sound on the many records coming out of Nils’ studio over the last couple years, so I thank him deeply for helping me to explore a richer, wider sonic landscape.”

Ital – “Hive Mind” 20th February (Planet Mu)

The début album from Daniel Martin-McCormick under his Ital guise is an album that early reviews and pre-release track suggest stretches the definition of dance music. Made up of five longform tracks that build upon last year 12″ releases on 100% Silk and takes his dirty, dubby and psychedelic sound further out. Tracks like ‘Floridian Void’ seem to bring together sounds from Martin-McCormick’s entire career thus far from the solo synth based noise project Sex Worker, through the brutal dance-punk of Mi Ami and with the D-I-Y attitude of his first band the hardcore punks Black Eyes. This is dance music in structure but not by design.

Sleigh Bells – ‘Reign of Terror’ 20th February (Mom & Pop)

The second album from Sleigh Bells promise more of the noisy pop of their début “Treats” but with a darker more gothic edge added to the overall tone. The main changes seems to be that pre-release tracks “Born to Lose” and “Comeback Kid” is that though the tracks are less in-your-face than before they still possessed extraordinary power. Meanwhile the Alexis Krauss’ vocals have become more ethereal adding a new creepy edge to the music.

Olafur Arnalds – “Another Happy Day OST”  27th February (Erased Tapes)

Like label mate Nils Frahms Olafur Arnalds is a young modern classical pianist with a prolific output. This latest release provides the soundtrack for Sam Levinson’s “Another Happy Day” starring Ellen Barkin and Demi Moore and features the beautiful and delicate ‘Poland’.

Belbury Poly – “The Belbury Tales” 27th February (Ghost Box)

The fourth album from Belbury Poly (aka Ghost Box co-founder Jim Jupp) is a heavily influenced by 1970’s folk-prog acts such as Caravan though in a recent FACT interview Jupp said he hadn’t made a prog album per se but that “While the sound and feel of British prog is an influence on The Belbury Tales, it’s only one element. It’s not a prog rock album, I don’t think; it has just as much to do with TV soundtracks, library music, kosmische and psychedelic rock.” The four clips that are available to stream via Soundcloud certainly fit this description. FACT say the album fits into the Belbury Poly and Ghost Box aesthetic but with a more organic and live feel thanks to the contributions of guest musicians Christopher Budd (bass and electric guitar) and Jim Musgrave (drums) a first for a Belbury Poly release. Jupp also adds zithers, melodica, ocarina and sampled vocals to the mix. The clips leave the listen intrigued but we’ll have to wait to find out what the whole album sounds like.

2012 through my (biased) eyes: January – Recommendations

Prologue

After a great 2011 in which our views went through the roof and we got many more comments, I hope Sonic Fiction can continue to build on this. I hope that this is the year we finally get a constant dialogue going between us and our readers. From the outset I wanted to provoke debate and have been conscious to try to encourage this in my posts. It’s really encouraging to read and respond to positive comments and I hope the comments section and our Twitter feed become places where debates and conversations around Sonic Fiction’s content and music in general can be had. I will also try where possible to post more often, though this may come more through tweets rather than full posts. In addition to this our electronic music columnist Vier and I will both be recommending albums as well as singles, EPs, mixes, mixtapes and anything else we feel is worth your attention and readily available.

Thank you to everyone who reads the blog and thank you to all the commentors and followers.

Liam Flanagan (Sonic Fiction Editor)

Recommendations

Ekoplekz – “Westerleigh Works EP” out now (Perc Trax)

Ekoplekz was one of my favourite discoveries of last year even though it took me forever to get round to listening to him and I didn’t mention him on Sonic Fiction. This new EP is a bit of departure as it is his first release designed for the dance floor and features a remix from one of his heroes, Richard H. Kirk (Cabaret Voltaire). Expect the usual analogue noisiness but with a four to the floor backing.

Oliveray – “Wonders” out now (Erased Tapes)

As 2011 wound down I bought A Winged Victory for the Sullen’s eponymous debut album and it got a lot of spins in late November and December. Included with the CD was a code that could be used to download a free Erased Tapes sampler. So I download this and automatically had several new artists to check out. Oliveray is a collaboration between two of the Erased Tapes artists, new classical pianist Nils Frahm and multi instrumentalist Peter Broderick. If these two artists’ catalogues are anything to go by this could be a jewel in the label’s crown for 2012.

Matthew Dear – “Headcage EP” 16th January

(Ghostly International)

Ahead of his new album “Beams” due later in 2012, Dear will release a four track EP. For the first time Dear isn’t the producer, instead that is handled by Van Rivers and The Subliminal Kid (Fever Ray, Glasser, Blonde Redhead) and on ‘In The Middle’ he hands vocal duties to Johnny Pierce of The Drums. Reviews suggest that this EP both picks up where Dear left off with “Black City” (2010) and folds current influences such as Oneohtrix Point Never, Laurel Halo and Autre Ne Veut into his dark techno pop mix. Find out if Sonic Fiction agrees next month.

Amadou & Miriam – “Dougou Badia EP” 23rd January (Nonesuch)

A new digital only EP from the Malian Tuareg legends that precedes their new album “Folila”  out on 26th March. The title track which features Santigold and Nick Zinner(Yeah Yeah Yeahs) can be heard here.

Errors – “We Have Some Faith In Magic” 30th January (Rock Action)

One of our favourite bands at Sonic Fiction are back with a new album. The first single ‘Earthscore’ is a three part epic. It starts off almost cinematic with big synth swells and pounding tom toms all topped off with reverb heavy vocal sighs, then it breaks down into a four to the floor rhythm, bubbling arpeggios and a typical Errors guitar and synth melodies. Then the guitar line descends giving way to an almost breakbeat style rhythm and new theremin style lead synth before finally clattering to a close. Though this is a lot to take in the first couple of plays it soon becomes clear this is a continuation of Errors’ evolution and that they’ve taken a leap forward that promises much for this album and their future. Lets hope they get the attention they deserve. Listen to ‘Earthscore’ here.

Harmonious Thelonious – ‘Listens’ 30th January (Italic Records)

Italic will release the follow-up to 2010′s Congotronics influenced ‘Talking’ with an new album that we at Sonic Fiction hope continues this artist’s unique combination of “American minimalism vs. African drumming vs. European sequencing”.

Loops Of Your Heart – “And Never Ending Nights” 30^th January (Magazine Records)

After his career ascension with “Looping State Of Mind”, The Field (Axel Willner) has created the side project Loops Of Your Heart. The first single ‘Neukölln’ trades The Field’s emotive sound for a more apparent krautrock/kosmiche musik style and points to the direction “And Never Ending Nights” will take.

Still to come this month on Sonic Fiction:

Next week – 2012 through my (biased) eyes: Catch Up #1 – a look back at some album that were released in November and thus excluded from our Albums of the Year and have now been throughly disgested.

Later this month – Classics Critiqued: Basic Channel: BCD by Vier.

Sonic Fiction’s Sound of 2012

New Artists

Unbalance

From Omsk, Russia, producer and DJ Unbalance was first introduced to me with his ‘The Russian Technothon’ mix, which incorporated tracks from Ben Klock, Norman Nodge, Marcel Dettmann, Lucy, O/V/R and DVS1 (also in this Sounds of 2012). Inspired greatly by Basic Channel and the Berlin sound, he has released three moist dub-techno untitled 12”s – Unbalance – Unbalance#1, a fourth is due soon, and several tracks on the Ukrainian Indeks Music and Sonntag Morgen. Describing his style as, “techno with different shades of moods, from deep atmospheric dub sound to pushy and aggressive groove, forcing [you] to feel different emotions [while] remaining in the framework of this techno music.”

DVS1

Though not a new artist, 2012 should see Minneapolis native DVS1 break through to wider acclaim like his mentor Ben Klock and Marcel Dettmann. His DJ sets at Berghain have seen him mess with the Berlin sound by playing attention grabbing, mischievous techno. Signed to Klock’s Klockworks label, his popular ‘Floating’, ‘Running’ and ‘Searching’ tracks have also displayed his playfulness and the influence of house and techno on his work. Hopefully this year will see the release of a mix on Ostgut Ton and more EPs.

Conrad Van Orton

Conrad Van Orton (a character’s name taken from David Fincher’s ‘The Game’) is a producer from Rome who creates broken and dirty dub techno. His work, like doom-filled ‘Matyr’, has been released on the Italian label Sonntag Morgen and his own imprint CRS Recordings, the name of which is again from ‘The Game’.

Voices From The Lake

Duo Donato Dozzy and Neel release their album on the 31^st Jan after their evocative EP “Silent Drop”. Signed to Prologue, a small German label, the two Italians use Voices From The Lake to explore ambient techno and their EP is filled with organic textures and fluid, hypnotic rhythms. Their self-titled album, which recreates and refines their live performance at a festival in the mountains of Japan, looks to expand and enhance this.

Voices from The Lake Feat. Donato Dozzy & Neel – Silent Drop EP

Items & Things

With news last year that Magda, Troy Pierce and Marc Houle had left Minus to dedicate more time to their rebooted Items & Things label and promising releases so far from Madato, Danny Benedettini, party-starters Click Box and Houle’s new album “Undercover” due in March (his first to not be released on Minus), 2012 will see the label grow stronger and continue to sign and release music from talent they love.

Young Hunting

Though not strictly a new act, they self-released their debut album “Attachment In A Children and The Subsequent Condition” in 2010, the Edinburgh duo (not to be confused with the L.A. band of the same name) have just released their first 12” “Night of the Burning”, due for digital release on the 23^rd January, on Blackest Ever Black. The duo have landed favourable comparisons to industrial legends Coil, slot beautifully into the label’s gothic aesthetic alongside their peers Raime and share textual, atmospheric and rhythmic similarities with Shackleton. “Night of the Burning” shows great potential for this duo and the label promise more material is on the way.

Oliver Tank

Oliver Tank brings together the disparate worlds of electronica and classical instruments such as the violin in a subtle and inviting way. Many artists spring to mind while listening to Tank’s music including Boards of Canada and Apparat though none truly manage to describe what he is actually achieving. He also shows a taste for pop with his excellent cover of Snoop Dogg’s ‘Beautiful’ and injects real emotion into his combination of ‘serious’ genres. With all this going for him, Tank has a bright future ahead. Oliver Tank’s debut EP “Dreams” is out now via Bandcamp.

A$AP Rocky

The hype around A$AP Rocky has been building for quite some time and he’s graduated to a new level of fame since the release of his critically acclaimed mixtape “LiveLoveA$AP” in November. Since then A$AP Rocky has signed a record deal that will see him release a deluxe version of “LiveLoveA$AP” featuring production from up and coming producers Clams Casino, Spaceghostpurrp and Ty Beats and others with a debut album due later in 2012. With the attention he’s been getting and the team of ‘cloud rap’ star producers he is working with, A$AP Rocky will be dominating the headlines this year.

Doldrums

21 year old producer Airick Woodhead from Montreal creates a unique blend of contrasting genres and sounds that combines “Bollywood strings, electronic smears, strangulated samples, and rickety breakbeats” into a delightfully twisted charming racket. His debut EP on No Pain In Pop followed the release of his remix of ‘Chase The Tear’ by Portishead as its official b-side and features six brilliant nuggets of genre hopping genius. As his label notes, “his music is a reaction to the overhyping and plasticity of modern youth culture. Doldrums’ music reflects this societal change on a personal level, as a member of the last generation to remember life pre-internet and 24 hour status updates. His androgynous voice comes across mid-panic attack, floating in a sea of chopped up samples, disembodied vocals and tribal percussion.  Spearing between electro-hallucinogenic freak outs and languid nostalgia, his tracks somehow manage to elevate classic pop melodies above a sample saturated sound collage.”

Gabriel Bruce

The lugubrious voice of Gabriel Bruce is the first thing that strikes about his music and sounds like Matthew Dear on his “Black City” album or Nick Cave is his tender moments. Repeat listens reveal a skilled musician and arranger who can combine and balance the subtle and the hard hitting on his beautiful debut single ‘Sleep Paralysis’. This also featured a 50 page book on the subject written by Bruce. As the year continues let’s hope we hear more from this very promising new artist.

New Albums

For a full list of upcoming music releases check out our New Music releases page.

Matthew Dear – “Beams” – Described as “a turn towards the light”, following Dear’s 2010 album “Black City”, “Beams” has had a teaser in the shape of the “Headcage” EP, which mixes Dear’s low-register voice with upbeat rhythms. The album should be out in the spring.

The Knife – “title tba” – Typically for The Knife, their announcement that they were working on a new album was spare of detail so nothing else is known but, after waiting six years since “Silent Shout” was released, a new album should be released this year.

Loops Of Your Heart – “And Never Ending Nights” (30^th Jan) After his career ascension with ‘”Looping State Of Mind”, The Field (Axel Willner) has created the side project Loops Of Your Heart. The first single ‘Neukölln’ trades The Field’s emotive sound for a more apparent krautrock/kosmiche musik style and points to the direction “And Never Ending Nights” will take.

Orcas – Orcas (Feb) – Rafael Anton Irisarri ( The Sight Below) has formed a new duo with Benoit Pioulard called Orcas. With an album due out in February, the artists combine traditional song writing with ambient music production. Included on “Orcas” will be their cover of Broadcast’s ‘Until Then’:

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – tbc – No news on other than Karen O announcing the trio have been working on new music for release in 2012.

Errors – “Have Some Faith in Magic” (30th Jan) – The Scottish electro-post-rock band return, stream 1st single ‘Earthscore’ here. A big favourite here on Sonic Fiction hopefully this will be the year they break through properly and get their just rewards.

Julia Holter – “Ekstasis” (March 2012) – The second album from found sound artist Holter has become much antipated after her debut “Tragedy” did well in the end of year polls, will be interesting to see how see develops her unique sound.

Madvillain – (2012) – In a recent interview with Reverb Stones Throw’s Record head honcho Peanut Butter Wolf said the new album from Madlib and MF Doom is  “three-quarters done”, so hopefully this much anticapated album will be released at some point in 2012.

Congotronics vs Rockers (2012) – After watching the project’s rehearsals and performances unfold via the Congotronics vs Rockers blog the promise of an album of new material by the project is an exciting prospect.

The Avalanches (2012) – a recent tweet by Modular Records promised a new record by these Aussie sampler manglers as they finally follow-up to 2001’s “Since I Left You” album.

Spotify playlist:

Sonic Fiction’s Sound of 2012