38 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=228127 TYPE061 2009-09-18T15:27:34Z You might not be familiar with the work of Seasons (pre-din), but the shadowy northerner has been honing his craft for some time now, covertly issuing a slew of stunning albums while the world ticked on. He cut his teeth performing and collaborating with Richard Skelton and Xela, but over the last couple of years has busied himself prepping a range of hand-made releases on his own label. Often gone in a matter of hours, these lovingly crafted curios caught the attention of astute listeners worldwide and it is now our pleasure to announce the first widely available album from Seasons (pre-din). 'Your Eyes The Stars and Your Hands The Sea' is a collection of tracks crafted from hours of field recordings and instrumental takes. Using a small hand held recorder and a collection of string instruments, Seasons set about using 'spaces' – recording sounds in different areas to create a certain sound or mood. These rooms, fields and abandoned buildings form the backbone of the sound and give a curious cinematic quality to the record. You can almost place yourself in each space, and while it isn't always obvious beneath the chatter and manipulated radio static, there are always skeletons of real life just around the corner. It is eventually the artist's humanity that sets these compositions apart from those of his peers; rather than simply dry recordings, they are merely starting points for layering and sculpting. The result is thick, detailed pieces which, while subtle, pack a clout more readily associated with the contemporary noise scene. Restrained and totally enveloping, this is an album which resides somewhere in the undergrowth, emerging slowly before drifting gently out to sea. Turn down the lights, lower the needle and let it pull you away. You might not want to come back. false 46 seasons-pre-din-your-eyes-the-stars-and-your-hands-the-sea 2009-09-18 your-eyes-the-stars-and-your-hands-the-sea A rumbling low-key masterwork from the mysterious Seasons (pre-din) 2009-09-18T15:29:39Z 35 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=237317 TYPE055 2010-01-07T00:26:19Z Since the release of the genre-defining 'Marking Time', the music of Richard Skelton has been widely celebrated for its raw, organic beauty, its honesty and restraint. Whether the work has been under his own name or under one of his many shadowy guises (A Broken Consort, Riftmusic, Carousell, Clouwbeck and others) there is a level of skill, a sureness of touch, and an emotional resonance that is virtually unparalleled by his peers. 'Landings' is the culmination of four years of recording on the moors and hillsides of Northern England. The resulting album isn't simply a suite of songs in the mould of 'Marking Time', but a form of diary; a dialogue with the landscape itself. It is imbued with a real sense of narrative - and of place - that is both epic in scale and yet intimate in feel. And so we are taken on a literal journey across the threshold of 'Noon Hill Wood', with its achingly beautiful interleaved bowed melodies, drifting through ranks of pine, larch and birch. From there we cross the river and climb the slopes of the nearby hills in search of the source of 'Green Withins Brook' - a crushing Eno-esque ballad for concertina, recorded by the banks of the fledgeling stream as the ice melted one wintry morning. We are then taken across miles of bleak moorland, and to the album's desolate centrepiece, 'Voice of the Book', a symphony of bowed metallic sounds recorded in the ruins of a centuries-old farm house. Finally, we make a long, slow decent into the valley, and follow the river as it leaves the moorland behind. 'Landings' is a demanding, involving experience and is without a doubt Skelton's most complete work to date, containing within it the very essence of his musical output. Slowly, over the course of its 70+ minutes, he reveals the heart of his compositional skill and with that we are drawn into the depth of his work. Rarely are albums so involving and so absolutely moving. false 59 richard-skelton-landings 2010-01-06 landings A truly epic culmination of four years of recording on the moors and hillsides of Northern England. 2010-01-07T00:30:17Z 23 TYPE054 2009-11-15T15:40:43Z Chicago-based three piece Zelienople have been around for quite a while now, and in that time have become staples in the underground music architecture. Percussionist Mike Weis has appeared on recent recordings with alt-folk legend Scott Tuma; Weis, Tuma and guitarist/vocalist Matt Christensen form the band Good Stuff House. Despite all this activity, their passion still lies in Zelienople. Multi-instrumentalist Brian Harding completes the trio which has forged its most essential work to date with 'Give It Up', a record which succeeds as a perfect summation of their progress in the last few years. With previous albums the band have garnered no shortage of comparisons to Talk Talk, Slowdive and Bark Psychosis, and while these comparisons still stand, here Zelienople have pushed the influences into the background to reveal a daring and fresh sound. Poppier than its predecessor 'His/Hers', 'Give It Up' is a collection of rolling songs, from the Bohren Und Der Club Of Gore-esque opener 'Aging' to the doomed Americana of 'All I Want Is Calm' and the hazy ambience of 'Water Saw'. As we pass through the effortless percussive shuffle and dream-like riffing of 'I Can Put All My Faith In Her', perhaps the closest the band have ever come to writing a pop song, it's hard not to fall under their spell. It is a record with scope and an enviable restraint, and a record which revels in the band's experience and pedigree. There is a feeling that the three musicians don't need to prove anything, and in that we are treated to an album of crystalline, mysterious beauty; it is something which might take multiple listens to truly uncover, but a record which is infinitely rewarding once you do. Cinematic, but startlingly unpretentious, this is music perfectly primed for the colder seasons. Light a log fire and enjoy. false 51 zelienople-give-it-up 2009-11-14 give-it-up Dreamlike and absorbing, 'Give It Up' is the pinnacle of Zelienople's output to date. 2009-11-15T16:02:26Z 32 TYPE053 2009-10-24T14:52:15Z Marc Richter (aka Black to Comm) is no newcomer to the experimental music scene. As the figurehead of the Hamburg-based Dekorder label, the musician and designer has brought countless oddities to the attention of rabid music fans in the last few years, but it is with his own compositions that he has made the biggest splash. Releasing for a plethora of labels including Digitalis, Trensmat and of course his own imprint, he has pioneered a new, organic drone sub-genre using tape loops, vintage organs and an inexhaustible swamp of found sounds. With this latest album however, it was Richter's intention to move away from the epic drones he had made his own and into something more 'classic'. The mission statement for 'Alphabet 1968' was to write an album of 'songs' for want of a better word. Short tracks which represented genre points, the milestones which stuck in Richter's mind when he thought back to his favourite records. What we arrive at is an breathtaking ten track album which, over the course of forty-five minutes, explores world music, techno, noise, avant-garde, ambient music and even exotica. Each track is linked with a loose thread of radio static or environmental sound, dragging you through the album as if tuning in to a stray broadcast or a particularly adventurous mix. Richter has pieced the album together from hours of recordings made at his studio with home made gamelan, small instruments and loops gathered from a collection of ancient vinyl and 78 records. The scope of the album is admirable but ignoring this it is simply a shockingly arresting collection of experimental oddities, with references ranging from Moondog to Basic Channel by way of Bernard Herrmann. It's not hard to fall in love with 'Alphabet 1968', far harder would be to place exactly where the record should fit into your collection. false 50 black-to-comm-alphabet-1968 2009-10-17 alphabet-1968 A sprawling epic of a record from Hamburg's omnipresent Marc Richter 2009-11-21T18:50:38Z 36 TYPE052 2009-09-02T09:18:39Z For the last few years, Croydon three-piece Rameses III have been proving to the wider world that there's more to their homeland than dubstep with their deep and original take on ambient music. In that time Daniel Freeman, Spencer Grady and Stephen Lewis have notched up a number of releases for Important Records, Digitalis and of course Type Records, but it is with this latest opus that they truly leave their mark on the faded musical landscape. 'I Could Not Love You More' is a record that reframes their sound, taking their drifting ambience and pastoral folk and sharpening it at every opportunity. You can hear echoes of Takoma in Lewis's delicate acoustic guitar playing, shadows of early 4AD in the shimmering drones and all this is wrapped up in an Eno-esque sense of restraint. It sounds almost as if the pieces were written for the mid 20th century, with sounds coming from electric pianos, Mellotrons and guitars rather than heavy electronic processes. We end up with a warming blur of sound, something far removed from the chatter of zeroes and ones we have become accustomed to. As the album drifts from beginning to end there is a delicate yet defined narrative, enhanced by the inclusion of subtle field recordings and just the right amount of silence. The tracks lull us forward and send us into a state of nostalgic reminiscence, which is in essence the theme which balances the album. 'I Could Not Love You More' is simply a gorgeous reflection – exactly what it reflects upon is left up to the listeners themselves. Who would have thought the mean streets of South London could produce such beautiful music? false 45 i-could-not-love-you-more 2009-09-09 i-could-not-love-you-more A brand new album from London's premier purveyers of blissful post-folk 2009-09-09T11:22:34Z 29 TYPE050 2009-05-31T13:24:55Z On is the unique collaboration between French composer/producer Sylvain Chauveau and Chicago-based percussionist Steven Hess (Haptic, Pan American). I say unique because the band has a rather strange way of presenting its work – the concept is simple, to record a record in the studio, and then place it in the hands of a third party. The resulting work is then 'remixed' (for want of a better word) and the album is complete. Maybe we will never know what 'Your Naked Ghost Comes Back At Night' would have sounded like in the hands of a different musician, or even totally unprocessed, but that would be defeating the point of On. This time around the three hours of delicate source material was handled by none other than the Norwegian master of dark ambient Helge Sten aka Deathprod. Sten's characteristic smudged ambience is evident as he submerges Chauveau and Hess's compositions beneath a swamp of cavernous reverb and synthesized smoke. Hess's patented percussive drones are filtered into the distant buzz of an insect's wings, and Chauveau's prepared guitar becomes a tectonic rumble from another continent. At times it is difficult to discern where On stops and Deathprod begins, such is the mastery of Sten's production and the appropriateness of Chauveau and Hess's recordings. Like only the finest records in the dark ambient genre, 'Your Naked Ghost Comes Back At Night' guides you to another world for its sixty-minute duration. Haunted and trembling, these recordings (made in 2003) marked the conclusion of the Deathprod project as Helge Sten vowed never to record under the name again. It is easy to appreciate then how rare a record like this is to come across, and it is a work that should be savoured accordingly. false 42 on-your-naked-ghost-comes-back-at-night 2009-07-08 your-naked-ghost-comes-back-at-night Sylvain Chauveau and Steven Hess filtered through the mind of Helge Sten (Deathprod). 2009-07-09T16:29:03Z 35 TYPE049 2009-05-31T13:33:10Z While 'Marking Time' might be the first release under Richard Skelton's own name, it is far from the Lancashire musician's debut recording. Using a plethora of creative monikers (A Broken Consort, Harlassan, Carousel, Landings and more), Richard has slipped graciously into avant garde folklore. Each gorgeous hand-made record appears (usually on his own Sustain Release imprint) and then disappears in a matter of hours leaving the baying hordes to spend their lives on Ebay and Discogs if they want to collect them all. 'Marking Time' is Richard's first widely available record and might be the most perfect distillation of his sound to date. Using a selection of bowed string instruments and lavishing these sustained howls with the most delicate of fingerpicked guitar and gentle piano, he takes us through a most harrowing journey. These short songs are deft and deeply touching musings on loss and of the importance of time. Comparisons could be made to plenty of Richard's modern-classical or avant folk contemporaries but few imbue their music with such a deep sense of humanity and patience. This is an album which truly rewards those who give it the time it commands. LIMITED VINYL EDITION ONLY. CD edition is available on Preservation. false 44 richard-skelton-marking-time 2009-07-01 marking-time Vinyl release of Richard Skelton's stunning debut. 2009-07-09T16:29:44Z 19 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=140863 TYPE048 2009-05-30T10:30:02Z It doesn’t seem like long ago that we were ushering in the debut album from the multi-talented Peter Broderick, but here we are again with his sophomore effort, and it is with great pleasure that we can be a part of this devastating work. Where ‘Float’ showed off Peter’s strengths as a composer working mainly with the piano, ‘Home’ returns to the sounds Peter grew up around –voice and the acoustic guitar. Since the release of ‘Float’ Peter has been touring the world incessantly, sometimes as part of Danish post-rockers Efterklang and sometimes on his own, everywhere wowing crowds with his memorable songs and effortless instrumental skill. Many of the songs came from this very record, where he used his knowledge of production and composition to come up with a record that while rooted in folk music is something far more complex. Layers of vocals twist and tumble through a fog of instrumentation, but none of these flourishes ever dampen the impact of the songs themselves. Comparisons might be made to Sufjan Stevens, Jose Gonzales or more recently Sam Amidon, but what Peter does is very definitely his own. Reacting to his move from Portland, Oregon to Copenhagen Peter has created ten delicate musings on what makes a place a home, and in this we get an incredibly personal record. Although it might surprise listeners who as yet have only heard ‘Float’, we’re sure that ‘Home’ will leave everyone with a smile on their face, and bring back only the fondest memories. It might be corny to describe the record as ‘homespun’ but here Peter has come up with an album which is the perfect accompaniment to a mug of cocoa and a roaring log fire, and really there isn’t much more to life than that… LIMITED VINYL EDITION ONLY. CD and Digital editions are available on Bella Union (UK) and HUSH (USA). false http://www.emusic.com/album/Peter-Broderick-Home-MP3-Download/11338733.html 7 peter-broderick-home 2008-10-05 home The incredible second album from Peter Broderick. 2009-06-08T17:47:04Z 5 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=155685 TYPE047 2009-05-29T21:32:48Z It’s hard to believe that five years have passed since the release of ‘Album’, Andreas Tilliander’s first outing on the Type label. ‘Album’ marked the final stage in Andreas’s development as a ‘laptop’ artist and since then he has collected synthesizer upon synthesizer and enough tape to make the boys in Berlin jealous. Ditching the zeroes and ones, Andreas set about piecing together a follow-up to ‘Album’ and constructing it entirely in the analogue realm; the warming hiss of tape, the decomposing buzz of a monosynth and the nostalgic twitch of the Roland TB303. There might be a love of all things ‘Kosmiche’ once more, but it would be facile to label ‘Persona’ as such. Sure Andreas has heard his fair share of Cluster and Harmonia records, but his sound is just as rooted in psychedelic rock and even Basic Channel-era dub techno as Germanic ambience. Just listen to the thick, pulsating ode to Spacemen 3 ‘Oscillations and Tremolo’ and you quickly realise that you are not merely listening to ‘another’ synthesizer album. Half-heard rhythms and familiar TB303 bass pulses drag us in and out of a hinted-at Basic Channel-axis production on ‘Valla Torg Kraut’ while a fairground jangle drives us through ‘Ode to the Ode to the Street Hassle’. Something in there is blissful, almost beautiful, but it is hidden below thick layers of tape hiss and crumbling circuit boards. ‘Persona’ is a mature, confident and engaging experience - the product of a veteran electronic musician producing music that comes naturally to him. As the Ingmar Bergman film of the same name suggests, it might be Andreas Tilliander’s most revealing record to date. A stunning collection of modern electronic music. false http://www.emusic.com/album/Mokira-Persona-MP3-Download/11381195.html 2 mokira-persona 2009-04-05 persona The latest sprawling ambient epic from Andreas Tilliander, returning to Type after a long hiatus! 2009-06-08T17:46:42Z 39 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=170674 TYPE046 2009-05-31T13:19:55Z From the desolate hills of Albuquerque, New Mexico comes self-styled black ambient overlord William Fowler Collins. Brought up in New England and educated in San Francisco, the constant traveling has given his music a rare patience and focus and a distinct connection with the sprawling American landscape. Like Earth's seminal 'Hex' before it, 'Perdition Hill Radio', his second full-length, invokes the ghosts of a lost America and drags the rotting carcass of country music through a swamp of noise and drone. With a love of both experimental ambient music and ear-splitting black metal, Collins has arrived upon a grim hybrid of both. Black ambient might be the best description as this is neither one nor the other, inhabiting a lonely space in-between. The chugging, blown out treble and isolated darkness of Xasthur is all present and correct, but there are also echoes of William Basinski and Deaf Center hidden amongst the clouds of radio static. These rare cracks of beauty are what make 'Perdition Hill Radio' such an arresting listening experience, and what sets it apart from so much that has come before. There is a shadowy link between the compositions of William Fowler Collins and fellow Type artists Svarte Greiner and Xela; all three share a similar fascination with the darker side of the ambient spectrum. Collins however manages to re-frame this darkness to suit the sun-baked mountain tops of New Mexico, and it's all the bleaker for it. As crows circle an anonymous skeleton and brightly coloured lizards retreat into their dark corners, there could be no better soundtrack than this. Dark, doomy and with no escape from the pounding sun up above – 'Perdition Hill Radio' is a truly cinematic record. false http://www.emusic.com/artist/William-Fowler-Collins-MP3-Download/12113504.html 41 william-fowler-collins 2009-06-04 perdition-hill-radio Welcome to New Mexico at night. 2009-06-09T23:29:51Z 28 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=168768 TYPE045 2009-05-29T19:59:11Z Although this eponymous album may be the debut from occasional New Yorker Fred Thomas, he's far from a newcomer to the scene. Rather he has spent most of his life in search of the perfect pop music, first as the frontman/mastermind of Saturday Looks Good To Me and now under his oddly monikered solo project. Apparently the name comes from European tours where the sign 'City Center' was such a regular (and reliable) sight, but gives few clues to the unknown pleasures held within Fred's music. Taking cues from the skewed pop music of Arthur Russell on one side and Brian Wilson by way of Panda Bear on the other, Fred has channelled an outsider pop masterwork. Thick waves of decomposing electronics and processed instruments (is it gamelan? Is it something else altogether?) crash and fizz beneath Fred's singular chanting vocals. There's a sense that someone, somewhere might be singing along to these songs, but hearing them on mainstream radio might be pushing it a little too far. Sandwiched in-between three-minute pop marvels such as opener 'Killer Whale' and the stand-out 'Summer School' are extended ambient experimentations, but unlike the occasionally academic workouts you might expect from Type these feel organic and distinctly home-brewed. There is something magical about Fred Thomas's distinct and original musical creations, something that grabs you and won't let go. We're not entirely certain what that is but we're sure if you give City Center a try you'll feel exactly the same as we do. Pop music has rarely sounded so warm or quite so open hearted... false http://www.emusic.com/album/City-Center-City-Center-MP3-Download/11433441.html 1 city-center-city-center 2009-05-30 city-center The long-awaited debut from Fred Thomas's City Center. Sublime noise-pop primed for the summer sun. 2009-06-08T17:49:57Z 19 TYPE044 2009-05-31T13:29:47Z In just a few short years multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, composer and all round renaissance man Peter Broderick has shot from being a darling of the underground to something far more substantial. Constantly touring, Peter has accrued fans far and wide with his alluring folk songs and gorgeous post-classical compositions, but all this had to start somewhere. A few years ago Peter was kind enough to send Type a package of all his material prior to writing 'Float'. This came in the form of two CDRs, lovingly hand-labelled '4 Track Songs'. Recorded to tape using only a cheap microphone, Peter assembled these tracks as and when they came to his head. From delicate piano improvisations to fully fledged songs more reminiscent of 'Home' this is a charming and heart-warming portal into Peter's early creative process. More than that though, these songs are so defiant in their hazy, lo-fi beauty that they stand on their own as pieces that can never possibly be repeated. Moving from track to track with all the grace of that chunky stop button on a cassette recorder, we are treated to both volumes of Peter's early recordings and although they might have been released before, they actually never sold a single copy. Peter ended up giving them away to lucky friends and relatives as the general public had no idea of what they were missing out on. Through dedications ('For Dave') to get-well-soon messages ('Jenn is Sick') to simple musings on life ('Three Cats') each song seems to come straight from the heart and is untroubled by the trappings of modern production. This is pure, simple and ineffably beautiful music which shows the beginnings of a truly special talent. false 43 peter-broderick-4-track-songs 2009-08-13 4-track-songs Early lo-fi classics from Peter Broderick. 2009-08-13T11:18:08Z 2 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=140107 TYPE043 2009-05-30T10:23:06Z In 2006 Xela (aka Type Records main man John Twells) released the horror-flecked epic ‘The Dead Sea’. Taking influence from the movies of Dario Argento and Umberto Lenzi and fusing them with a Lovecraftian concept he created the perfect tribute to his obsession. Every good horror movie has a sequel, and for this full-length follow up John has used the dark corners of the Christian religion as his guide. Composed initially for a fear-themed Chicago art installation, the sixty-minute piece gradually took shape as a celebration of desolate cellars and distant church bells, the things that truly scare him. Researching further took him to Spain and Italy as he explored Basilicas, Cathedrals and crumbling churches in search of inspiration. Ancient stories, whispered histories and sounds drifting through generations became the basis of the recording, which is split into four distinct parts. Beginning with metallic scrapes and haunting industrial soundscapes we drift among fluidly dense drones, electrical hums and crumbling noise. Like a doom-laden take on the crunching assault of Hair Police or a noisy version of David Lynch’s Eraserhead soundtrack, the music is stripped down to the bare bones of what is necessary. Before long we hit the record’s central piece, ‘In Deo Salutari Meo’ which takes an almost funereal tone, using religious bells as the primary sound source. Eventually the album climaxes on the longest piece, ‘Beatae Immortalitatis’, which features Heavy Winged’s Jed Bindeman on drums. Bindeman was last seen lending his percussive skills to ‘Calling For Vanished Faces’ which appeared on the Xela/MGR split earlier this year, and here his pummelling beats accompany John’s icy oscillator tones. Like a free-form Pan Sonic this takes heavy electronic music into a frightening new place ending in a thick cloud of screams and crackle. One might even call it a religious experience. false http://www.emusic.com/album/Xela-In-Bocca-Al-Lupo-MP3-Download/11325610.html 5 xela-in-bocca-al-lupo 2008-06-09 in-bocca-al-lupo The true sound of total desolation... 2009-06-09T15:26:37Z 13 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=136205 TYPE042 2009-05-30T10:27:38Z Keith Kenniff has been with Type from the very beginning, and now as Type is well into its fifth year he offers us his fifth gorgeous release. In five years Keith’s style has evolved constantly, with his drifting piano compositions taking the Goldmund label and the Helios sound moving out from undreneath the clipped beat-heavy electronics of ‘Unomia’ and into a more unique place, even incorporating vocals on the ‘Ayres’ mini album. ‘Caesura’ however is his ‘proper’ follow-up to the acclaimed ‘Eingya’, and sees Keith return to the instrumental sound he knows so well. In fact in many ways ‘Caesura’ is a more electronic work than its predecessors, blending layer upon layer of synthesizer and adding his assured drumming to come up with the perfect meeting of indie-pop and ambient music. The haunting cinematic element is still present of course, but these songs are more rounded and confident than any in Keith’s career. From the delicate bliss of ‘Hope Valley Hill’ which opens up the album with gauzy nostalgia and, as the title promised, hope, through the chunky pop of ‘Come With Nothings’ it is clear that Keith’s music is as arresting as it ever was. Taking cues from the lilting indie-electronics of Ulrich Schnauss and the unfussy ambience of Brian Eno, Keith manages to inject this with his knowledge as a composer. The epic harmonies of ‘Backlight’ for instance reveal a lightness of touch rarely heard in the genre with sweeping synthesized chords buzzing alongside Keith’s signature guitar. Accompanied by more gorgeous artwork from Matthew Woodson, ‘Caesura’ is a glowing record for the winter months, and a glimmer of hope to keep the seasons at bay. false http://www.emusic.com/album/Helios-Caesura-MP3-Download/11293406.html 6 helios-caesura 2008-06-09 caesura A triumphant return to Keith Kenniff's patented instrumental electronics. 2009-06-09T15:26:37Z 18 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=192147 TYPE040 2009-05-30T10:35:21Z Although 'III’ might be the third album from San Francisco trio The Alps it marks their first studio-based record and a fresh direction for the psychedelic supergroup. Made up of Tarentel mainman Jefre Cantu-Ledesma, ex-Tussle member Alexis Georgopoulos (better known as ARP) and Troll member Scott Hewicker there is a deft amount of skill on display as the three rip through eight tracks of sizzling spiritual bliss. Comparisons here are easy to bring up – Popol Vuh, Ennio Morricone and Serge Gainsbourg spring to mind for starters as the band toss and tangle through thick drum breaks and reverberating sun-drenched guitar lines. 'III’ feels like a lost soundtrack to some crumbling Italian surrealist classic with its pounding basslines and swirling synthesizers. This is visual music, inspired by the likes of Werner Herzog, Alejandro Jordorowsky and Michaelangelo Antonioni, but what results is far more than a pastiche. Rather the trio have concocted a record which while being aware of its sprawling influences is far more than the sum of its parts. The finest excesses of progressive rock and the leanest intricacies of the psychedelic folk scene have been splashed together with a distinct dusty funk overlook to produce something which is totally out of time. Free from some half baked scene or other this is the result of three musicians doing exactly what they want. 'III’ has taken a plethora of sounds and crumbled them into something altogether beguiling. From the distant supernaturalism of 'Trem Fantasma’ to the Terry Riley influenced bliss of 'Pink Light’ The Alps show us that there’s more to pyschedelia than meets the eye. false http://www.emusic.com/album/The-Alps-III-MP3-Download/11293367.html 9 the-alps-iii 2008-06-09 iii Sun-drenched progressive pop for the Italian horror film you never knew existed... 2009-06-10T10:36:34Z 8 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=115588 TYPE039 2009-05-30T10:40:04Z ‘The Malady of Elegance’ is the second poetic full-length from Boston-based composer Keith Kenniff, better known to some as Helios. Taking cues from ‘Corduroy Road’ Keith again restricts himself to the piano in conjuring up his humble soundscapes and again we are pulled into a deep, meditative and filmic world as the notes glide to a slow, pensive meter. Keith’s last release was the challenging ‘Two Point Discrimination’ EP, released on the Western Vinyl label as part of their portrait series, but where that record was a collection of haunting experiments in form and sound, ‘The Malady of Elegance’ sees us back into the warming, homespun territory of ‘Corduroy Road’. That’s not to say these compositions are upbeat, far from it in fact, but there are lines to be drawn to folk music, and while Keith no longer draws on the American Civil War as a primary influence there is still the sense that the ghosts of old America haunt the keys. On top of these references we see Keith tripping somewhat fittingly into a flickering filmic world somewhat in line with his taste in European film. There is a delicate narrative on show throughout the record from the opening hopefulness of Image-Autumn-Womb through the melancholy of Now to the sensitive romance of the album’s closer Evelyn. Listening to the record almost creates its own cinematic accompaniment in the minds eye, and this is simply a testament to Ketih’s incredible talents as a composer. Fans of Erik Satie, Sylvain Chauveau and Hauschka need look no further, ‘The Malady of Elegance’ is a deeply personal meditation which you cannot help but get lost inside. false http://www.emusic.com/album/Goldmund-The-Malady-Of-Elegance-MP3-Download/11283923.html 10 goldmund-malady-of-elegance 2008-06-09 the-malady-of-elegance The slow-paced and effortlessly beautiful second Goldmund album. 2009-06-09T23:29:51Z 26 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=107975 TYPE038 2009-05-30T10:43:07Z Portland, Oregon based Liz Harris might have achieved a significant fan base thanks to the whispering, near ambient vocal crusades of her debut album ‘Way Their Crept’ and its follow-up ‘Wide’, but those with a careful ear would have heard slightly more trapped beneath her fuzzy chain of effects. ‘Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill’ marks a departure of sorts for Liz which sees her turn down the fuzz-boxes which caged (and to some degree defined) her sound and allows her voice to ring out above everything else. It is an album steeped in the world of dream-pop, a genre pioneered by the likes of 4AD’s Cocteau Twins and This Mortal Coil, and far from shy away from the reference Liz has instead grabbed on with both hands, in the process creating an album’s worth of perfect, leftfield pop songs. Using delicate song structures which are at once both familiar and alien somehow we hear her words cry out hauntingly over stripped down guitar lines and looped environmental recordings. Just listen to ‘I’d Rather be Sleeping’, a track that could be a mournful take on Belly, albeit with a more fragile heart. These unforgettable harmonies and vocal lines that embed themselves in your consciousness before you even realise it are the key to the album’s success and the reason why it makes such a lasting impression. There is something to Liz Harris’s music that defies the time, makes you sit up and listen in an age where we’re told that recorded music is disposable. These are the future soundtracks to love, despair and ultimately hope. false http://www.emusic.com/album/Grouper-Dragging-A-Dead-Deer-Up-A-Hill-MP3-Download/11231475.html 11 grouper-dragging-a-dead-deer-up-a-hill 2008-06-09 dragging-a-dead-deer-up-a-hill The career-defining third album from Liz Harris. 2009-06-09T15:26:37Z 17 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=139935 TYPE035 2009-05-30T10:32:51Z 'Field Rituals’ is the first solo album to come from Koen Holtkamp, an artist probably better known as one half of ambient duo Mountains. Based in Brooklyn, Koen created the album slowly and as a love letter of sorts, taking in delicate field recordings and using them like faded photos representing his distinct memories of the people and places he chanced upon. Some may have heard the incredible ‚Make Haste’ which appeared on limited edition vinyl earlier in the year, but this was only a taste of what Koen has to offer on 'Field Rituals’. Taking cues from the classic ambience of Brian Eno and fusing it with the instrumental subtlety of Sweden’s Tape, Koen has come up with an aural book on his subject matter. Each track feels entwined in the next and feels like a part of something much bigger. Sure we’ve heard field recordings, synthesizers and guitars before but rarely have these instruments been injected with such a lightness of touch and with such a delicate open ear. Each listen reveals more, like peeling back layers of onion skin – take the album’s epic centrepiece 'Sky Flowers’ for example, which blends slow-moving synthesizers with good-natured environmental recordings and shimmering strings. The result is explosive somehow, with the grandeur more usually exploited by Arvo Part being framed with a distant electronic ambience. The slow-burning pace is probably the single most important facet and reveals an artist at ease with his musical choices, something unusual in a genre brimming with young hopefuls. A good comparison might be Stars of the Lid, but Koen’s music is more organic and more humble somewhat than the ex-Texan duo. In the end we are just proud that Koen has allowed us a look into this most personal of works. false http://www.emusic.com/album/Koen-Holtkamp-Field-Rituals-MP3-Download/11293435.html 8 koen-holtkamp-field-rituals 2008-06-09 field-rituals The shimmering debut album from Mountains-man Koen Holtkamp. 2009-06-09T15:26:37Z 21 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=64477 TYPE034 2009-05-30T10:49:07Z Type has always been committed to releasing music with visuals in mind; ‘cinematic music’ is a phrase we coin often, but there’s more than a good reason to use it in relation to ‘Nuage’, the latest album from French composer Sylvain Chauveau. He last surfaced with ‘S.’ a short-form record exploring his more electro-acoustic leanings, but this record, which collects his recent scores for two films by Sébastian Betbeder sees the composer returning to the sound he explored so successfully on FatCat’s ‘Un Autre Décembre’. With a hand-picked group of players on piano, viola, violin and with Sylvain himself on electric guitar the music roots itself in the traditions of great film scoring. There are defnite nods to Krzysztof Kieslowski’s composer Zbigniew Preisner in the deep sense of emotion and melancholy, and Chauveau strips his pieces down to the bare minimum of what might be needed, ridding himself of orchestral excess or meaningless sentimentality. Thus short motifs rise and fall, tangling their way through the album, appearing and re-appearing subtly and beautifully. Even without the visual accompaniment you begin to imagine just what the films may have held, what may or may not have happened; love, loss, deceit and nostalgia. There are clear stylistic links to the work of fellow contemporary composer Max Richter, not least with the scope and quality of the recordings and ‘Nuage’ should delight those who enjoy Chauveau’s romantic side. The album has eschewed any academic experimentation and revels in a haunting simplicity, and for those of us hanging on Chauveau’s every movement the decision couldn’t be more welcome. Maybe the track which sums up the album so perfectly is the centrepiece and longest track ‘Fly Like a Horse’, which interestingly is the only track not to utilize the classical players. With electric guitar and light electronics Chauveau creates a mood and a texture while sounding completely different from the rest of the album, sums it up completely – deeply moving and incredibly memorable. false http://www.emusic.com/album/Sylvain-Chauveau-Nuage-MP3-Download/11225389.html 13 sylvain-chauveau-nuage 2008-06-09 nuage A glorious collection of film soundtrack work from French composer Sylvain Chauveau. 2009-06-09T15:26:37Z 15 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=155700 TYPE033 2009-05-29T21:42:04Z ‘Knive’, Erik Skodvin’s debut album under the Svarte Greiner moniker was a milestone in doom music. Taking a surprisingly acoustic route, he kick-started a sub-genre as he used cello, violin and rattling miscellanies to conjure up blood-curdling soundscapes. ‘Kappe’ is his sophomore effort and continues Skodvin’s blackened underworld cruise, furthering his mysterious cinematic sound. Through incessant touring Skodvin has built up a distinctive live technique since the release of ‘Knive’ and it is this which works as a spirit guide on ‘Kappe’. Travelling the dark corners of the world, Skodvin has explored every shadowed alleyway in his grasp, built up a collection of broken glove-puppets and potion-filled medicine bottles and trapped many a stifled scream in the process. Some of these disparate adventures were captured to cassette tape (‘Penpals Forever’) and wax disc (‘Til Seters’), but the most evil moments were set aside for this full length record; four fated psalms in honour of the dark Northern lords. The album’s opener ‘Tunnel of Love’ may be the noisiest piece Skodvin has produced to date with a death-rattle of chains accompanying his patented maritime bass drone. It sounds something like Death’s gondola gliding through purgatory, gradually building into a dense, chattering cloud of torment before dropping into bleak stillness. Skodvin is joined by Ultralyd saxophonist Kjetil Møster who adds a disarmingly terrifying squeal to the horrifying detuned strings on ‘Candle Light Dinner Actress’. The most startling change here is his incorporation of the electric guitar – ‘Mystery Man’ sees Skodvin harness the feedback into loops of distressing, pained melancholy bringing to mind Skullflower or a slow-motion Sonic Youth at times. ‘Kappe’ however is very much its own beast, and followers will already know that nothing sounds quite like Svarte Greiner. You won’t find a more unsettling record this winter... false http://www.emusic.com/album/Svarte-Greiner-Kappe-MP3-Download/11381185.html 3 svarte-greiner-kappe 2009-02-20 kappe The sophomore album from Erik Skodvin, taking his doom-laden sound into the darkest crevices of the underworld 2009-06-08T23:13:54Z 21 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=53099 TYPE030 2009-05-30T10:53:18Z Since his 2000 debut ‘Le Livre Noir Du Capitalisme’ (which is soon to be re-issued on Type!) Sylvain Chauveau has been a pioneering figure in the world of modern classical/electronic music. This status has seen him inhabit the same creative space as Max Richter, Jóhann Jóhannsson and our very own Ryan Teague and now we are proud to welcome him to the Type label and issue this brand new mini-album. ‘S.’ sees Chauveau taking a daring new direction since his last record the breathtaking and lushly orchestrated set of Depeche Mode covers ‘Down to the Bone’, and moving away from the haunting strings and piano work of his best known works he has stepped into the world of minimal electro acoustics. The first track ‘Composition 8’ probably best illustrates this move with its expertly processed prepared guitar drones, layered together to create a menacing piece of bass-heavy ambience and growling doom comparable to even experimental metal pioneers Earth at their most esoteric. This piece is expertly balanced however against the second track, simply titled ‘P.’ which has Chauveau again caressing the ivories, but using the notes (and the space between the notes) to dictate something far more minimal and far more realated to the brooding drone of ‘Composition 8’. Elsewhere we hear Chauveau’s take on glacial digital minimalism with the epic electronic piece ‘E/R’ and more delicate piano experimentations before we are brought to a satisfying and subtle close with the gritty, slow burning ambience of ‘A_’. All in all this is possibly the most thoughtful and unusual selection of tracks Chauveau has ever set his name to, and give them time and they are sure to reveal their immense depths. false http://www.emusic.com/album/Sylvain-Chauveau-S-MP3-Download/11225392.html 15 sylvain-chauveau-s 2008-06-09 s A radical change of direction for French composer Sylvain Chauveau. 2009-06-09T15:26:37Z 16 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=42954 TYPE029 2009-05-30T11:03:26Z Rutger Zuydervelt, a man better known to the experimental music world as Machinefabriek is somewhat prolific; a fact you might have gathered from his steady flow of super-limited edition 3” cdrs which seem to slip out relentlessly month after month. American multi-instrumentalist Aaron Martin is possibly less productive only having one full-length album to his name so far, but he is no less intriguing and between them the duo have come up with a project which is far more than the sum of its parts. The ‘Cello Recycling’ project was originally commissioned for use in an art gallery; Zuydervelt took cello improvisations from Aaron Martin and built them into the slow-burning post-ambient monster that is ‘Cello Recycling’. However here we see the original piece accompanied by Aaron Martin’s take on Rutger’s work, where he ‘drowns’ the original piece in a bath of murky water taking into submerged directions it has never before drifted. The two pieces together are perfectly complimentary showing two sides to a tarnished coin – one giving us pent up emotion, fizzing and shuffling awkwardly until it explodes majestically, the other giving us peaceful reflection as seen through the eyes of a serial killer who has just completed his final gift to the world. An inventive and incredibly beautiful look at the cello as an instrument and noise making tool; this is an absolute must for fans of post-classical music, the droning beauty of Stars of the Lid or even the moody post rock of Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Moody, kinetic and hugely enjoyable stuff, this needs to be played loud and absorbed totally… false http://www.emusic.com/album/Aaron-Martin-Machinefabriek-Cello-Recycling-Cello-Drowning-MP3-Download/11225356.html 18 aaron-martin-machinefabriek-cello-recycling-cello-drowning 2008-06-09 40 cello-recycling-cello-drowning A blistering collaboration between two experimental music behemoths. 2009-06-09T15:26:37Z 13 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=50811 TYPE028 2009-05-30T10:57:59Z It hasn't been long since Keith Kenniff's gorgeous collection of gauzy, cinematic sound-poems 'Eingya' slipped into the consciousness. In a short space of time the Boston based multi-instrumentalist has become awash with acclaim and been invited to perform numerous live dates around Europe, something which gave life and inspiration to this latest collection of work. Those who managed to catch him on the most recent tour will already be aware that Keith has just taken up his most breathtaking instrument yet - his voice, and 'Ayres' is his first exploration of this new-found talent. 'Eingya' managed with the simplest of means to show just how crushing Keith's songwriting was, but here he pieces together five gorgeous 'songs' and one inspired cover with devastating results. Combining his many musical loves, Keith manages somehow to bring in the warring elements of indie-pop, experimental electronics, folk and world music resulting in a sound which is distinctly his own; these might be songs in the traditional sense, but there's little traditional about the way they have been produced. Decaying synthesizer sounds trip up over carefully strummed guitars and expertly carved percussion - take opening track 'A Rising Wind' which is maybe the most effortless display of Keith's talents; this is a slow burning epic, beginning with the simplest of sound-palettes and growing into a jubilant dream-pop masterpiece. Elsewhere, standout track 'The Obeisant Vine' blends the hazy nostalgic electronics of the Brian Eno with the songwriting heart of the Innocence Mission leaving you gasping for more. By the time the mini-album ends with a cover of 'In Heaven', 'that' song from David Lynch's seminal 'Eraserhead', you realize you have spent half an hour in Helios's world, and it's a world you'll want to escape to again and again. false http://www.emusic.com/album/Helios-Ayres-MP3-Download/11225363.html 16 helios-ayres 2008-06-09 ayres The follow-up to the world beating 'Eingya' is this six track mini album, where Keith Kenniff discovers his voice. 2009-06-09T15:26:37Z 19 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=95483 TYPE027 2009-05-30T10:45:49Z In the last few years the world has seen its fair share of musicians give up the trusty guitar in favour of the piano, the banjo or possible even the French horn, but rarely to we get a musician who seems so perfectly suited to any instrument he cares to grab hold of. ‘Float’ is the debut full-length album from Oregonian Peter Broderick and is the ideal showcase for his well-honed instrumental talents, blending as it does his love of folk music, classical music and good old fashioned indie pop. After the release of the ‘Docile’ EP on cult Swedish label Kning disk there was no doubting the man’s piano playing skills, but here we see the piano joined by violins, cello, drums, banjo, guitar, vocals and so much more resulting in a dense and varied collection of tracks. An easy comparison might be Efterklang, the Danish band who Peter currently performs with but ‘Float’ is just as easily linked to the work of FatCat’s Max Richter, Type’s Sylvain Chauveau or even the Portland, Oregon scene which birthed him. ‘Float’ is an album which has a definite narrative – a fan of film soundtracks and the films themselves Peter decided early on to make an album which was not simply a collection of random tracks. Rather we hear themes appear and re-appear, motifs to signal the different acts of the record and characters, sometimes in the shape of instruments themselves dropping in and out as if through some thick French cigarette smoke. Even the titles of the tracks themselves could tell a story and as you listen to the album, as subconsciously you follow the broad lines which link each piece together. Already Peter has interest from the most important indie labels around the world, so catch him now before the rest of the world gets hold... false http://www.emusic.com/album/Peter-Broderick-Float-MP3-Download/11211446.html 12 peter-broderick-float 2008-06-09 float The debut album from Portland's Peter Broderick. 2009-06-09T15:26:37Z 21 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=153565 TYPE025 2009-05-29T21:44:05Z Originally released in 2000, ‘Le Livre Noir Du Capitalisme’ was the first album from French composer Sylvain Chauveau. Now in 2008 it has been remastered and repackaged for Type Records, translated into the English ‘The Black Book of Capitalism’. This record was the first the world had heard from Sylvain, a musician who had been rooted in post rock before realising that he could do a lot more with the instruments around him. On ‘The Black Book of Capitalism’ we hear a rare playful side to the composer as he flirts with Gallic classical music, electronica, jazz, and even indie rock. The variety splintered into various side-projects as Sylvain moved on in the music scene but here we get a sense of confident experimentation without a hint of cliché. Sylvain’s sound would go on to influence a host of other artists and kick off an entire sub-genre of modern classical music, but strangely enough this debut album has been out of press for some time. Now remastered by Dubplates and Mastering in Berlin and on vinyl for the first time ever it sounds more relevant and timeless than it ever has. Beginning with a cloud of smoky ambience, piano, strings and the atmospheric field recordings that frame the record, we are dragged into Sylvain’s noir-esque world. This sets the scene for the entire album which drifts through the kind of piano-led classical vignettes popularised by Max Richter and more recently Goldmund yet punctuates these with doomy jazz and lighter pieces such as the guitar-led ‘Dialogues Avec Le Vent’. The result is a beguiling collection of pieces which show an incredibly inventive mind at work, a mind refusing to be held to one specific style, or even time. false http://www.emusic.com/artist/Sylvain-Chauveau-MP3-Download/11640281.html 4 sylvain-chauveau-the-black-book-of-capitalism 2008-06-09 the-black-book-of-capitalism A remastered reissue of Sylvain Chauveau's incredible debut album! 2009-06-09T15:26:37Z 23 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=38268 TYPE024 2009-05-30T11:06:26Z Zelienople (named after a borough in Pennsylvania) is the moniker of Chicago based musicians Matt Christensen (guitar/vocals), Mike Weis (percussion) and Brian Harding (guitar/clarinet) and between them, in a desolate suburban basement, they have come up with a record of pure psych-rock sludge. Now on their fifth album, the band have struck upon their finest moment yet, honing their skills to create something singular and utterly unique. There is certainly no shortage of acts willing to throw down waves of experimental guitar noise and clattering percussion, but with the benefit of focus and experience, Zelienople sound like something totally out of time and almost impossible to place. Residing in a hazy drunken world in-between slow-core pioneers Low, psych-folk outsiders Charalambides, Japanese overlords Boris and Dead Man era Neil Young 'His/Hers' is a faded photograph of rock music past, yet still manages to keep a firm footing in the present. Guitars echo like disappearing ghosts and vocals moan and wail mercilessly while percussion bubbles up in glorious waterlogged waves. 'His/Hers' isn't a concept album, but it might as well be with five bravely sculpted tracks acting like chapters, taking you through a whole gamut of emotions, from pensive and lonely through to aggressive and impulsive and beyond. Fusing the warring factions of blues, noise, metal, folk and jazz the trio have made as breathtaking a psychedelic album as you're likely to find, and unlike so many others in the scene it never threatens to overwhelm you with meaningless academia or pretension. This is an album made for listening, for enjoying and sinking in to, an album that is made as an illicit treat for the discerning music fans among us. Grab hold and step aboard, Zelienople are just about ready to take you on a universal journey into the subconscious, and it's gonna be quite some ride. false http://www.emusic.com/album/Zelienople-His-Hers-MP3-Download/11225352.html 19 zelienople-his-hers 2008-06-09 his-hers A sludgy exploration into psychedelic rock with occasional pauses for breath and smudged blues. 2009-06-09T15:26:37Z 22 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=42957 TYPE023 2009-05-30T11:01:34Z Skallander is probably a name you haven’t heard before, and with good reason. Although the duo of Bevan Smith (better known as Signer) and Matthew Mitchell have had two albums out already, scant few copies made it out of their home country of New Zealand (where they have received almost universal praise) but now the oddly monikered pair are ready to have their sound lavished upon the world at large. Mitchell and Smith have been playing together since their teens in various bands, and Mitchell’s well-trained finger-picking could be heard on Signer’s recent tours so this third self-titled album feels like the two musicians have an almost spiritual link. Taking cues from the golden age of rock music, when songwriting was just as important as musicianship – ‘Skallander’ is an album which should appeal to those of us desperate to hear great, memorable songs. Utilising Mitchell’s virtuoso instrumental skills and haunting vocals and pitting them against Smith’s veteran mixing desk trickery, the result is an album which sounds both incredibly new and yet retains the classic structure of your favourite 70s LPs. With nods to early Pink Floyd, Neil Young and more recently Jose Gonzales and Kings of Convenience this is a deep and beautiful record which revels in the enjoyment of music itself. We were always sure that there were people out there who were ready to sidestep the elitism and pretense of the modern underground music scene, and with Skallander we’ve found exactly that. Like an invitingly mysterious book, this album will have you trapped in its hazy beauty for many months to come; we can’t imagine a better forest to be lost in… false http://www.emusic.com/album/Skallander-Skallander-MP3-Download/11225346.html 17 skallander-skallander 2008-06-09 skallander A sun-bleached collection of twisted pop songs from guitarist Matthew Mitchell and Bevan Smith (aka Signer). 2009-06-09T15:26:37Z 20 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=56945 TYPE022 2009-05-30T10:50:36Z Montreal has become something of a seething hotbed of musical talent of late, what with the Arcade Fire bubbling up as the critics favourite and Wolf Parade capturing the hearts and minds of bloggers everywhere, but beneath the surface there’s something more going on, something just that little bit more gritty. Mitchell Akiyama has been an active part of the music scene for some time now as a solo artist, label boss and collaborating with various other musicians, most notably Tony Boggs (as Désormais) and Jenna Robertson (as Avia Gardner) but this is the first time the three musicians have put their heads together and created something which absolutely defies their earlier work. Turning his electronic music and post-rock roots on their head Mitchell instead decided to look to the early 80s with help from self-confessed riot grrrl Jenna and accidental front-man Tony and the trio began to piece together their take on leftfield pop music. With broken synthesizers, fizzled out drum machines and the usual armory of guitars and overdriven amplifiers they managed to figure out a perfect pop formula, taking the usual hooks and choruses and feeding them through a mire of grimy effects ending up with something flickering and desperately neon coloured. Music for day-glo wrist bands and basement parties, this is a fresh take on the DIY lo-fi scene, and even if the whole fanzine culture has broken down to make way for blogs and webzines it doesn’t mean we have to lose touch with the grittier side of life. Bravely penetrating themes as diverse as sex, drugs, and the all important unicorn scene in Blade Runner there shouldn’t be any reason not to usher Letters Letters into your life immediately, just remember that it’s okay to embrace the noise… false http://www.emusic.com/album/Letters-Letters-Letters-Letters-MP3-Download/11225361.html 14 letters-letters-letters-letters 2008-06-09 letters-letters Sleazy no-wave pop music produced with a noise aesthetic - it's neon coloured and very wrong. 2009-06-09T15:26:37Z 24 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=33981 TYPE021 2009-05-30T11:09:08Z Brad Rose is easily one of the free-folk movement's busiest exponents, splitting his time somehow between running the Digitalis and Foxglove labels, the FoxyDigitalis webzine and writing his own music under a variety of different monikers with a host of collaborators (Ajilvsga, Eastern Fox Squirrels, Alligator Crystal Moth, Corsican Paintbrush, Sea Zombies). Through all this pain and suffering at the hands of a busy and now somewhat hip scene he has managed to put together a brand new album which elegantly follows a hugely acclaimed collaboration with UK's Rameses III 'Night of the Ankou'. However, whereas 'Night of the Ankou' explored both acts occasional leanings towards ambience and drone, 'Exquisite Idols' instead shows Rose digging deep into the dusty vaults of his American heritage and drumming up an album dripping with blues, folk and free experimentation. This is folk music as played from a snow-drift in Tulsa, in a Mid-West wasteland or a forgotten forest drenched in moonlight, it is personal, secluded and almost lonely, but Rose never allows the melancholy to take over. From the jubilant opening crackles of 'Eternal Birds' right up until the rockin' stomp of 'Feather-Cloaked Silver Priestess' there is the distinct feeling that although this might be labeled as free folk, there's a barn somewhere full of like-minded drunkards waiting eagerly to get dancing on them there hay-bails. Just flip to the rip-roaring folk stomp of 'Take it from me Brother Moses', take a swig of moonshine and let your feet do the talking. 'Exquisite Idols' is an album steeped in tradition yet its greatness comes from Roses ability to absorb other cultures so easily - there are traces of Indian traditional music, Greek music and more, all hidden within the cacophony of banjo, guitar and clanging percussion. This is what sets him apart from his contemporaries and makes his music so absorbing - this might be the least sacred devotional music ever made. false http://www.emusic.com/album/The-North-Sea-Exquisite-Idols-MP3-Download/11225386.html 20 the-north-sea-exquisite-idols 2008-06-09 exquisite-idols Eight skewed slices of sing-along outsider pop. 2009-06-09T23:29:51Z 26 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=32093 TYPE020 2009-05-30T11:12:18Z Originally released in 2005 to huge acclaim, 'Way Their Crept' is the debut solo recording from Portland-based experimenter Liz Harris aka Grouper. Since the release of 'Way Their Crept' she has gone on to release a second album 'Wide' and also a collaboration with Xiu Xiu, but for us this introductory album showed her unique vision at its most pure. The sound is deceptively simple; merely layers of vocals processed again and again through looping delays and chains of effects, but the emotion Harris manages to inject into her voice and into the crackles, hums and waves of feedback is almost unfathomable. Like many of the best records this is not an instantly accessible album, yet give it time and the drifting distortion and almost ghost-like sense of melody will take you into another world entirely. One might choose to label 'Way Their Crept' as an ambient record, but to label it as such would be doing it a great injustice - rather this is a meeting point of psychedelia, folk traditions and early electronic experimentalism. It is incredibly hard these days to stumble across music that really sounds unique or even original, but somehow Liz Harris has managed that here, and beneath the whirlpools of ambience and tape hiss there is an untouched beauty waiting to be discovered. false http://www.emusic.com/album/Grouper-Way-Their-Crept-MP3-Download/11460845.html 21 grouper-way-their-crept 2008-06-09 way-their-crept The stunning debut album from Liz Harris 2009-06-09T15:26:37Z 2 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=25007 TYPE018 2009-05-30T11:27:14Z Originally from the Black Country (the glottal rich manor of Walsall to be exact), John Twells is now based up north in Manchester - from where he runs his Type imprint and casts out dark, yet never suffocating, compositions under the Xela pseudonym. Having recorded silicon-rinsed soundtracks alongside Gabriel Morley as Yasume, Twells is best known for his work released under the Xela appellation. Showing an astonishing evolution in sound from early releases such as 'For Frosty Mornings and Summer Nights' and 'Tangled Wool', through to the ink-blot atmospherics of 'The Dead Sea', what originated in the clinical environs of digitalis was gradually eroded by thickly hued instrumentation and sublime arrangements - with Twells incorporating a vast palate of sounds and influences that retains sharp and piquant flavour despite the rich ingredients. Featuring a fantastically macabre set of illustrated cover art from Matthew Woodson (www.ghostco.org), 'The Dead Sea' is Xela's ode to all things maritime - with the album's thematic thread detailing a doomed ocean voyage that meets an abrupt end amongst a swarm of malignant zombies. Drawing on the work of 1970's horror directors (Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci and George Romero et al.) and their respective soundtracks, 'The Dead Sea' pays a considerable debt to the likes of Goblin or Fabio Frizzi - albeit frayed with a bloodied disposition that reveals a love of Earth, Circle and Wolf Eyes. Nowhere near as oppressive as this description could have you believe, Xela also exposes a deep seam of kaleidoscopic folk amongst his collection, with generous nods going to the freewheeling antics of labels such as Fonal and The Jewelled Antler Collective. Opening through the lace-curtained drone of 'The Gate', Xela manages to be both wilfully obtuse yet unremittingly focussed - as a cold-water batch of foggy soundscapes briefly parts to reveal some insistent percussion. Next up are the heat-haze melodies of 'Linseed' and its tender coalition of acoustic shards and mealy rhythms, before a Victorian music box is exposed to some virulently thrumming necromancy for the startling 'Drunk On Salt Water'. From here Xela continues to coax both light and dark from a palate of instruments he's accrued whilst travelling the globe, ranging in style from the throbbing Theramin-heavy electronics of 'Creeping Flesh' and the tarnished grandeur of 'Savage Ritual', through to the seething distortion of 'Humid At Dusk' and nervous shimmer of 'Briefly Seen'. Horrifically good! false http://www.emusic.com/album/Xela-The-Dead-Sea-MP3-Download/11225382.html 24 xela-the-dead-sea 2008-06-09 the-dead-sea A blood drenched voyage into the realms of experimental psychedelic noise with your spirit guide Xela. 2009-06-09T15:26:37Z 2 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=27594 TYPE017 2009-05-30T11:18:38Z Four years after its release and almost seven after its conception, Type label boss John Twells' debut album under the Xela moniker is finally ready to be re-issued once again and featuring all-new artwork from Matthew Woodson, two bonus tracks and with all tracks fully re-mastered at D&M Studios in Berlin, the album has never looked or sounded better. John wrote the album in-between working at a car-parts shop selling car audio and busying himself with an art degree at University, which of course gave him the time to rush home whenever he could and work on music, and had the added bonus of providing him with large speaker systems to test out prospective tracks. The record was created in response to a two key things - a sense of alienation in the small ex-industrial town of Walsall, and most importantly to the electronic music he had just begun to hear. John had been brought up on a steady diet of indie, punk and metal and was exposed to electronic music fairly late, but as soon as he heard his first washes of analogue synthesizer he knew his life would change. It quickly led him to put down the guitars and save his pennies for cheap electronic equipment - synths, drum machines and tape recorders, and before long he was crafting home-made electronic symphonies. These early demos caught the attention of Lee Norris (Metamatics) who ran the Neo Ouija label, Lee used one of the tracks on a compilation he was compiling at the time, and encouraged John to put together a full length record. The result of this would become 'For Frosty Mornings and Summer Nights' which harnessed Johns love for glacial electronics, the ultra-minimal sound of Mille Plateaux and 12k, hip hop and of course indie rock, melting them all down into a vague narrative across the course of the record. This new issue has been fleshed out with two extra tracks which were written only shortly after the album's completion, and the entire release has finally been fully mastered. It might be four years old now, but 'For Frosty Mornings and Summer Nights' still sounds as beautiful and as inviting as the day it was first released - this is where it all started. false http://www.emusic.com/album/Xela-For-Frosty-Mornings-and-Summer-Nights-MP3-Download/11225375.html 22 xela-for-frosty-mornings-and-summer-nights 2008-06-09 for-frosty-mornings-and-summer-nights A deluxe reissue of the debut Xela album. 2009-06-09T15:26:37Z 15 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=25194 TYPE016 2009-05-30T11:22:47Z Hailing from the damp, blood-caked shores of Norway we always had an inkling that Erik K. Skodvin (better known as one half of Deaf Center) would be beckoned toward the dark side. As we all know, Norway is the most evil country in the north of Europe; they invented black metal and have a liberal government that actually works - there's got to be something wrong. It was only a matter of time then before Skodvin felt the call of his pagan ancestors and smelted 'Knive', a dusty anthology of surreal and doom laden paeans to the ancient ones. The troubled artist was set on his ashen path after a fated trip into the winding forests of rural Norway, during which he was shaken into exploring the darkest caverns of his mind to explain the bizarre forces that were making themselves known to him. He was spoken to by spiritual entities only rarely seen and set on a path of experimentation with the new influences flooding into his brain. Instead of revelling in pain and suffering though, Skodvin looked to the skewed world of the Dadaists feeling that their bug-eyed outlook would meld perfectly with his odes to the inky lords of Norwegian caliginosity, and the result is nine tracks of menacing abstraction and surreal, nauseating horror. The album opens with 'The Boat was my Friend'; a distorted guitar drone rings out into the atmosphere as crows bellow overhead and before you realise it a cello fades up in accompaniment and a shadowy female voice utters strange wordless chants. This is our serenade into a monochrome world where every floorboard creaks, where the sun never rises and the moon is forever full, willing evil to seep from the minds of the terminally unhinged. Before long we hear the sound of a saw ripping through that which we would prefer not to imagine on 'Easy on the Bones' and a gruesome character is revealed - the shocking visual aspect which so many attempt and fail dismally. When we finally reach the end, the appropriately titled 'Final Sleep', we are treated to the album's most memorable moment - an operatic vocal which soars atop Angelo Badalamenti influenced organs, seeping into your veins as it winds the album to a close. Skodvin has constructed a delirious collection of disorientating surrealism, an audio movie, re-enacting the most sadistic and most bone-chilling moments from your preferred tales of horror. Make sure all sharp implements are locked away and listen at your peril! false http://www.emusic.com/album/Svarte-Greiner-Knive-MP3-Download/11225394.html 23 svarte-greiner-knive 2008-06-09 knive A shadowy introduction to the world of acoustic doom. 2009-06-09T15:26:37Z 9 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=25173 TYPE015 2009-05-30T11:34:46Z After releasing the critically acclaimed 'Six Preludes' EP on Type Records in 2005, eyes were looking to young British composer Ryan Teague to see where he would take his sound next. Indeed, he referenced the EP release himself as merely preludes, so he clearly had plans to make an extra special effort for the imminent full length. In doing so he enlisted the help of a full orchestra; the renowned Cambridge Philharmonic with conductor Tim Redmond, as well as harpist Rhodri Davies who is best known for his work with the Cinematic Orchestra. Working with these key elements, Teague had the chance to compose without the limitations usually set on electronic composers and has ended up producing something truly timeless. Opening with the short introduction piece 'Introit' the album quickly gets moves up a gear with the title track 'Coins and Crosses', a fabulous representation of Teague's intense production skill and Rhodri Davies' peerless harp-work. The result comes across like Alice Coltrane blended seamlessly with Steve Reich and is one of the high points of the record, perfectly realising Teague's grand vision. On producing the album Teague noted that his primary influences were early sacred music and mysticism, but instead of moving towards the obvious dark mystery associated with these subjects he has interpreted them as moving, emotional and affirmative. When the album's centrepiece; the entirely orchestral 'Fantasia for Strings' appears at the halfway mark it is impossible not to be floored. A wholeheartedly moving epic which would not sound out of place juxtaposed with the cinematic imagery of Kieslowski or Bergman, this is where Teague's compositional skills flourish absolutely. Although he is equally at home blending electronic elements with orchestral sounds, 'Fantasia' shows he has exactly what it takes to compose competently without the aid of electronics whatsoever. As the album draws to a satisfying close with the rousing harp-led 'Rounds', you realise that you have been taken on a grand voyage. Each track tells a different part of an epic story taking you though waves of passionate energy and emotion, and like all the best films you will want to go through that journey time and time again. false http://www.emusic.com/album/Ryan-Teague-Coins-Crosses-MP3-Download/11225393.html 26 ryan-teague-coins-crosses 2008-06-09 coins-crosses With the help of the Cambridge Philharmonic Orchestra, Ryan Teague has managed to create an truly groundbreaking record fusing two very different worlds. 2009-06-09T15:26:37Z 27 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=25183 TYPE014 2009-05-30T11:31:00Z Mountaineer started out life as the project of German singer and songwriter Henning Wandhoff but soon after the release of his first album 'Sunny Day' he began to itch for collaborators, especially in taking his epic songs into the live environment. After a few years and a few lineup changes he was eventually left with the crack team of Katja Raine, Fiona Mckenzie, Anna Bertermann and Alexander Rischer and he could begin work on his third album. Wandhoff had a specific goal in mind as he pieced together the initial skeletons of 'When the Air is Bright They Shine'; he was listening to the classic LPs of the late 60s and 70s; 35-40 minutes, 10 tracks, every track perfectly realised and the album holding together without filler. There were none of those modern devices used to trick people into thinking they have got something a little more worthy than it really is - just pure pop music. He wanted to re-create this, but not make something knowingly retro, instead to put together his album with the same sort of high bar of quality control, to put together 10 songs that embodied the philosophies of those classic albums without actually mimicking them. After two years of work Wandhoff finally succeeded and had moulded the tracks into leftfield pop gems, raking in influence from decades of essential music. The album opens with 'A Town Called Ivanhoe' and we're already on the right path - the track has the best elements of Jim O'Rourke, Kings of Convenience or Jose Gonzalez, but manage to inject its own special Bossa charm which carries across the whole album. Imagine driving along a beach on the West Coast of the USA as the sun is setting and you'll have some idea of the rich moods captured on this ten track disc. When we reach 'Eliza (A Day For Every Hour)' it's clear Wandhoff has a deft skill in pop songwriting - this is a track that wouldn't sound out of place on any self-respecting radio show, but what's more it's actually credible too. As Wandhoff's soft vocals trip and tread over brushed drums and slide guitar it is simply impossible not to fall in love with the music. In cynical times like these it has never been more appropriate to deliver an honest album of great music, music that makes you feel good to be alive. 'When The Air Is Bright They Shine' is exactly that, and its unforgettable sun-drenched moods will take you all the way to paradise and back again. false http://www.emusic.com/album/Mountaineer-When-The-Air-Is-Bright-They-Shine-MP3-Download/11225377.html 25 mountaineer-when-the-air-is-bright-they-shine 2008-06-09 when-the-air-is-bright-they-shine Sun-drenched paradise, taking cues from classic 60s and 70s folk-rock and bossa! 2009-06-09T15:26:37Z 24 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=25169 TYPE012 2009-05-30T11:39:38Z Night of the Ankou is an immense collaboration between London based psychedelic-ambient three piece Rameses III and Tulsa's finest free folk rebel Brad Rose aka The North Sea. Rose might be better known as the brains behind Digitalis, a multi-media wyrd folk empire acting as a cdr label, magazine, book publisher and full blown label but it is his own musical compositions that remain at the core of whatever he turns his hand to. Both artists had crossed paths before this releasing on similar labels, with Rameses III even issuing a limited edition cdr for Brad's own Foxglove imprint, so it was only a matter of time before the two decided to join forces. As with so many overseas collaborations these days, the two acts have never actually met in person - instead they worked by re-moulding each others tracks, working their own ideas into the skeletons of that of the other, and the result is mesmerising. Opening track 'Death of the Ankou' is a hypnotic journey into the instrumental ambience explored by such acts as Popol Vuh or Stars of the Lid, yet adds a sense of cinematic adventure which could be compared to Type's very own Deaf Center. We are transported quite promptly into a spiritual, oriental world of water, bamboo, beauty and restraint which is simultaneously calming and beguiling. The second piece, entitled 'Night Blossoms Written in Sanskrit' is different; the ambience is filled out by echoing guitar, and the mood goes from peaceful and spiritual to truly triumphant. It would even be possible to compare this track to the later work of Slowdive - it has that same blissful, life affirming quality which makes you remember why you loved music in the first place! The disc is polished off by a remix from the Type Records boss himself Xela, and pulls together the ideas explored in the first two tracks, adding elements of his own signature production which will serve as a good taster for his forthcoming third album. Drones and bowed guitar squeals are spread densely over light percussion, harp and other-wordly sounds to produce something unusual but hugely enjoyable. This maybe Type's first foray into the weird world of psychedelic folk music, but given the deep ambience and mysterious cinematic beauty of 'Night of the Ankou', it is a match made in heaven. false http://www.emusic.com/album/The-North-Sea-Rameses-III-Night-of-the-Ankou-MP3-Download/11225364.html 27 the-north-sea-rameses-iii-night-of-the-ankou 2008-06-09 36 night-of-the-ankou A dreamy, near-kosmische excursion into drone and ambience. 2009-06-09T15:26:37Z 13 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=25157 TYPE011 2009-05-30T11:42:58Z Keith Kenniff mustn't sleep at all, after releasing the incredible Goldmund album 'Corduroy Road' for Type early in 2005 he was already busy at work crafting his second record as Helios; all this while finishing a degree at the acclaimed Berklee College of Music in Boston. 'Eingya' is very different from his work as Goldmund, as it incorporates not only his piano playing, but his delicate touch on guitar, drums and his masterful electronic production. It is an album of wordless songs, eleven carefully measured movements, each holding inside it an entire movie's worth of emotion. Beginning the album on a high with the pastural beauty of 'Bless This Morning Year' we witness a showcase already of what Kenniff does best; hearbreaking guitar and piano melodies punctuated by crumbling beats and backed by the most atmospheric synthesizer sounds this side of Eno's 'Apollo'. Moving on we are treated to the appetising 'Halving the Compass' which blends subtle field recording with the kind of piano melodies so beautiful they could be compared to Virginia Astley or Harold Budd. This is followed by the album's clear highlight - 'Dragonfly Across an Ancient Land'; an unsurpassable folk guitar piece with a decomposing percussive background and the sort of melodies that would turn evil tyrants into weeping babies. An album which could as easily appeal to fans of Nick Drake as fans of Boards of Canada or even early Air; this truly has something for everyone. To put it simply - it's gorgeous. false http://www.emusic.com/album/Helios-Eingya-MP3-Download/11225366.html 28 helios-eingya 2008-06-09 eingya An album of wordless songs, each holding an entire movie's worth of emotion. 2009-06-09T15:26:37Z 3 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=25149 TYPE010 2009-05-30T11:46:08Z Based in Stockholm, Sweden; Sickoakes are a six piece instrumental rock band and Seawards is their long awaited debut release. Since the release of an early recording of 'Wedding Rings & Bullets in the Same Golden Shrine' on the Pleasedosomething net-label some years ago there has been a bubbling interest in their next move, so it is an absolute pleasure for us to present their full album, and what an album it is. Taking the finest fragments of the ailing post-rock genre, and infusing this with vibrant orchestral flourishes, Seawards is a slow burning triumph. Unsurprisingly for such an epic work, the band have based it around some kind of basic narrative. With their travels of the Eastern Bloc firmly in mind, they have realized the album as a kind of telegram; a message to themselves or a series of lonely photos. As non-participating viewers into something isolated and detached they can watch as the world slowly comes to an end, and then tries to pick itself up again. These sentiments are perfectly represented throughout Seawards, which reads from beginning to end flawlessly. Much more than merely seven anonymous tracks, it is a voyeur's journey into an unconscious world. The album opens with 'Driftwood', a majestic and wistful maritime letter to a long gone lover. This acts as the perfect prologue, short and very sweet before the swooping majesty of 'Taking the Stairs Instead of the Elevator' continues the story with cascading guitars, glockenspiels and militant drumming. Before long we reach the album's clear highlight, 'Oceans on Hold' which hits like a freight train without brakes. Although we could go on about more of the epic beauty of this album - the most important thing here is that it rocks, it really rocks. 'Oceans on Hold' is simply huge, and the album's longest work 'Wedding Rings and Bullets' which takes up almost half the record in its two parts is simply earth shaking. This is a very special record for Type Recordings, with a band we have been working with for a very long time now so we urge you to explore the beautiful and peculiar land of Sickoakes. false http://www.emusic.com/album/Sickoakes-Seawards-MP3-Download/11225362.html 29 sickoakes-seawards 2008-06-09 seawards Swedish instrumental rock music never sounded so good. 2009-06-09T15:26:37Z 7 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=25136 TYPE009 2009-05-30T11:48:51Z After the critical acclaim of their 'Neon City' EP, 'Pale Ravine' is the long awaited full-length realization of Erik Skodvin and Otto Totland's musical ideals. Taking up where 'Neon City' left off with its epic sound collages and textural soundscapes, 'Pale Ravine' manages to provide a sound altogether more Lynchian and grimly cinematic. Using influences from further back in their lives, the two Norwegian musicians have looked deep into their own family histories to piece together a dusty and nostalgic epic. Inspired by old silent 8mm film reels, the historical architecture around them and the call of the alluring Norwegian landscape, the duo set out armed with microphones to record whatever they could to capture these feelings. Sounds from battered old records, cash registers, broken machines and a half-dead piano were all blended into the mix to add a warm, homely depth to the recordings. These sounds are most evident in the track 'Loft', where knocks and wooden creaks give an almost claustrophobic feel to the music. Again on 'The Clearing' a subtle field recording gives the track a rich and involving background and helps build up the mysterious aura before launching a skewed 1930s circus-waltz. One of the most stand-out influences on 'Pale Ravine' is theatre, or at least the romance of all things theatrical. Not so much theatre in all its pretentious excesses, but the childhood apprehensiveness and the sinister undercurrents. From the muffled ticket booth ambience of 'Lobby' to the solemn dance of 'White Lake' it all appears draped in thick billowing velvet. The dense narrative technique the duo employs is almost like a reverse to a silent film and the soundtrack is provided to be accompanied by the imaginative visuals of the listener. 'Pale Ravine' is an album which again manages to blend elements of classical music with electronic music, yet there is something decidedly different which sets it apart from the competition. While there are elements that can be compared with contemporaries such as Max Richter, Marsen Jules or Ryan Teague - Deaf Center is altogether more other-worldly, darker and ultimately very rewarding. false http://www.emusic.com/album/Deaf-Center-Pale-Ravine-MP3-Download/11225387.html 30 deaf-center-pale-ravine 2008-06-09 pale-ravine A haunting homage to the world of David Lynch and Angelo Badalamenti. 2009-06-09T15:26:37Z 10 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=25124 TYPE008 2009-05-30T11:53:15Z midaircondo are a Swedish trio (Lisa Nordstrom, Lisen Rylander and Malin Dahlstrom) fusing highly visual performance with improvised live electro acoustic music. These three gifted musicians realised during a knitting session that that they all had a similar urge to experiment with sound and widen their musical range. The three developed their unique sound through improvised jam sessions using saxophone, flute, vocals and all of course laptops and samplers. By further incorporating a plethora of unusual instruments and abstract recorded sounds, their jam sessions developed into structured and coherent improvisations. Before long midaircondo were on stage, and these experimental methods became the basis of their sound. The live element became the core of the band, something unusual in modern electronic music. Whereas most acts have to struggle to translate an electronic home-studio sound into live performance, midaircondo had to work out how to mix their powerful live dynamic down to an album. 'Shopping For Images' is a purified essence of this vibrant energy, and while tailored for the studio, it still retains the live improvised quality which makes midaircondo so unique. 'Eva Stern, Shake It' opens the album with dissolving bubbles of saxophone and flute playfully tumbling over each other, before the first breath of evocative vocals. The rich cocktail of genres is what jumps out most suddenly from this unusual record. Promptly after this we are treated to the beautiful triumphant pop of 'Serenade' launches itself and there is no going back. This track, already receiving extensive radio play and a highlight of their very successful Sonar Festival live set is a testament to the band's gift for creating leftfield pop. A short piano loop forms the basis for a grand vocal masterpiece. Elsewhere the sultry, smoky Lynchian jazz of 'Sorry' shows that midaircondo can also master the sounds of dark cabaret. Deep bass and swooping atmospheres plunge the listener into midaircondo's world; one of variety and depth, and for fifty minutes it is impossible to escape its charm. The light touch of humanity that midaircondo's improvised sound deftly moulds is a breath of fresh air in electronic music. Whilst harnessing incredible sound design skills, they also manage to inject what can sometimes appear cold and calculated with life and vibrant colour. However it would be difficult to list influences, as Lisa, Lisen and Malin have been performing and working with music for far too long to pick single artists. As much influenced by a stray radio broadcast or a glittering pop melody as the latest star-studded albums, midaircondo are a self-contained musical constellation. false http://www.emusic.com/album/Midaircondo-Shopping-for-Images-MP3-Download/11225367.html 31 midaircondo-shopping-for-images 2008-06-09 shopping-for-images Quirky Swedish experimental pop, and a little more. 2009-06-09T15:26:37Z 12 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=25103 TYPE007 2009-05-30T12:01:05Z Melissa Agate is no newcomer to the music scene, being exposed very early in life as the drummer of Australian avant rock outfit Sindog Jellyroll. Since then she has refined her styles and perfected what she believes to be a truly personal sound. Taking influence from her antipodean background and also from a life-changing move to British shores, Sentimentalist is deeply reflective and unashamedly visual. Finding herself discontented with the trappings of the rock genre, it was not long before Agate discovered electronic music and began to experiment with as many different instruments as she could manage to acquire. From acoustic guitar and ukulele to traditional bells and kalimba, anything at hand was added to the rich soundscape of her creative vision. In doing this, Melissa has created something truly original. By purposefully taking sounds which inspired her and allowed her to visualize the rich memories she had stored in her mind, she has forged a work which is accessible but very difficult to define in genre. Agate's influences are as far reaching as her musical ambition, and she takes well informed references from avant jazz, blues and experimental electronic works. Moments of Sentimentalist project hazy echoes of Robert Johnson, before colliding with the sublime analogue chic of Stereolab or Broadcast. Elsewhere, skeletal outlines of Opiate or Mum drift into angular rhythmical sounds explored by Supersilent or Radian. Yet rather than try and emulate another artist, instead Agate takes ideas to add to her ever changing musical ideal. It is her goal to produce an honest sound, something that is true to her soul, and she succeeds magnificently. Sentimentalist leaves us with something truly timeless and it exists slightly removed from the world we live in. Carefully selected fragments of musical history are lovingly woven together creating a magical album, and one not to be taken lightly under any circumstances. false http://www.emusic.com/album/Sanso-Xtro-Sentimentalist-MP3-Download/11225344.html 33 sanso-xtro-sentimentalist 2008-06-09 sentimentalist Subtle analogue experimentations and brave acoustic instumentation in this astonishing debut from Melissa Agate. 2009-06-09T15:26:37Z 11 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=25090 TYPE006 2009-05-30T11:56:50Z Parisian Julien Neto has been an active member of the music scene for some time with releases on various labels under various monikers, so it comes as a surprise then that this is his debut album. However, Neto has taken his time in producing this record, and it shows very clearly that this is not merely a random collection of tracks but a fully realized work. Like a poem, each track is a verse, and part of a much larger piece. The literary connection does not stop here, Neto based part of the record on the poems of Keats finding a kindred spirit in his deep and moving romanticism. This effortless gravitas is explored cautiously on 'IV', where sweeping strings and distant piano form the basis of an epic and moving track. The title of the record is somewhat fitting as the album is enswathed by curls of cinematic smoke. Think Twin Peaks as blue light illuminates the dry ice around Julee Cruise on centre stage, or the thick French cigarette smoke drifting from Rachel's mouth in Blade Runner and you're close. Yet what makes 'Le Fumeur De Ciel' so beautifully inviting is its delicate naivety. There is something of timeless theatrics about the record, hazy childhood memories of half-sinister puppetry and enjoyably menacing shadows. Propelled by a tireless Gallic melancholy, this is a work which confronts tragic loss with an unflinching honesty. Each track is underpinned by deep memories and dried tears. 'Sketch' takes Neto's signature flute sound and adds sweeping strings and a lightly plucked harp that trips over the already heart wrenching melodies. The atmospheres which Neto carves are the most striking aspect of his music. With samples, rough tape edits and disintegrated synthesized sounds he can manipulate imaginary worlds. This is when we have to go back to Keats, and in the same way that a poem looks to the reader's imagination to complete the experience, so Neto does the same. Fans of Colleen, Susumu Yokota, Sylvain Chaveau and Max Richter are sure to find solace in these peaceful and measured electro acoustic compositions. false http://www.emusic.com/album/Julien-Neto-Le-Fumeur-de-Ciel-MP3-Download/11225365.html 32 julien-neto-le-fumeur-de-ciel 2008-06-09 le-fumeur-de-ciel Foggy Parisian cinematic bliss. 2009-06-09T15:26:37Z 8 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=25076 TYPE005 2009-05-30T12:08:20Z Boston- based multi Instrumentalist Keith Kenniff is a busy man. He has appeared as Helios on a number of acclaimed releases, including Deaf Center's 'Neon City EP', and released a debut album 'Unomia' on Merck records which has appeared on many best of 2004 lists. All this while studying at the prestigious Berklee College of Music, and playing drums, guitar or contributing production to a host of amazing musicicans. Kenniff lives and breathes music, something that is very obvious when hearing tracks under any of his pseudonyms. As Goldmund, Kenniff has disregarded the electronic elements of his music almost entirely in favour of just a piano, a microphone and occasionally a guitar. 'Corduroy Road' is thirteen tracks of pure recording, the sound of the piano being opened and the feet on the pedals, the sound of fingers pressing lovingly onto the keys. This is a record of rare and unusual beauty, so shocking and yet unpretentious in its simplicity. When the guitar does emerge from beside the delicately touched piano, it serves as a balancing point for the record. Weaving in and out of the melodies, it adds another layer to what is already incredibly moving music. 'Corduroy Road' is rooted in Kenniff's love of folk music from the American Civil War. We can hear this directly from his rendition of Civil War era classic 'Marching Through Georgia', but the influence carries throughout the record. There is an unheard voice which propels each track through history, maybe the ghosts of dying soldiers whispering in a long forgotten bar. Every haunting note drifts deep into the psyche and is lost in the ether of nostalgia. In this way it is a concept recording of sorts, it certainly has a narrative and has to be listened to in sequence. The story has clear themes; loss, history, friendship, camaraderie, forgiveness and hope, all clearly marked out by musical segments. It is no surprise that Kenniff's passion for cinema shines through so strongly. It would be hard to draw comparisons to music so rooted in folk traditions, but the music evokes traces of Ryuichi Sakamoto, Mark Hollis, Keith Jarret or even Eno's more piano based compositions. Yet influence seems unimportant when listening to this deeply personal work. Just let it sink in and drift into the psyche. false http://www.emusic.com/album/Goldmund-Corduroy-Road-MP3-Download/11225358.html 34 goldmund-corduroy-road 2008-06-09 corduroy-road The now-classic debut Goldmund album. 2009-06-09T15:26:37Z 6 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=25066 TYPE004 2009-05-30T12:21:41Z 'It's All Just Another Aspect Of Mannerism' is the debut album of Los Angeles based Logreybeam, aka Gabriel Morley. Having spent many years studying music at the prestigious Cal Arts Academy, Morley has taken his training and turned it on its head. Instead of merely sampling the instruments he has so painstakingly learned, he resynthesizes, filters and destroys them until few traces are left on the resulting sound recordings. Every track starts with a sound base and whether it be piano, strings or percussion only a hint of the original sound is left. All we hear are tones, trapped reverberations, the sounds that we are taught to ignore. Morley is better known as one half of electronica act 'Yasume'. His gritty percussive structures helped carry their album 'Where We're From The Birds Sing A Pretty Song' to great critical acclaim in 2003. It comes as quite a surprise then that in his debut solo record Morley dispenses with percussion almost entirely to make a record of drifting, crystalline beauty. He considers this as a far more personal work than Yasume, which was more of an outlet for his ADD induced beat creation skills. It is when working by himself he feels he can express his love of musique concrete and abstract sound design. The album opens in typically classical style, with the sounds of a laptop orchestra tuning their samples on 'Premonition'. This sets the tone of the record perfectly as it drifts seamlessly from Xenakis-influenced electrical drones into the cold, precise digital manipulations explored previously by artists such as Carsten Nicolai. It stops for breath mid-way through with 'Beetelguise', a wonderful reinterpretation of Danny Elfman's influential theme, proving that there is room for a wry smile in the po-faced world of the avante garde. As the album draws to a satisfying close with the mysterious 'Untitled' we are treated to a piece of field recording, delicately manipulated to brush the senses rather than barrage them with information. This kind of subtlety is rarely achieved, yet Gabriel Morley manages effortlessly. Such simple yet involving beauty comes around far too infrequently, which is what makes 'It's All Just Another Aspect Of Mannerism' such an essential work. false http://www.emusic.com/album/Logreybeam-It-s-All-Just-Another-Aspect-of-Mannerism-MP3-Download/11225391.html 37 logreybeam-its-all-just-another-aspect-of-mannerism 2008-06-09 it-s-all-just-another-aspect-of-mannerism Gabriel Morley's first full length release, taking modern classical composition into an electronic framework to devastatingly beautiful effect. 2009-06-09T23:29:51Z 14 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=25052 TYPE003 2009-05-30T12:16:49Z Khonnor, the 17-year-old US-based wunderkind, first came to the attention of many through his cult internet-only EP releases as "Grandma" and "I, Cactus". With this, his long-awaited debut album "Handwriting", two years in the making, he has produced a record which is sure to bring an important new voice to the emerging indie-electronica movement. Taking influence from Jim 'O Rourke, Fennesz, Sonic Youth, The Smiths and David Sylvian, 'Handwriting' shows both reverie and intense originality. Khonnor manages to make music with a rare endearing naivity which combines a dark sense of humour with a keen uncynical eye. Everyone has been through similar experiences, but Khonnor documents his with startling originality and finesse. Dreamlike digitally manipulated guitar noise and wavering synths form the foundation for most of the tracks, complimented by Khonnor's frank and open lyrics throughout, breathing life into his tracks with an ease and unforgettable beauty as he charts the ups and downs of teenage love, pocket change and lost hazy nights. After releasing his first EP at only fifteen years of age, Connor Kirby-Long had an early start to the music scene. What resulted from his early experimentations was an exceptionally original and unrestrained mixture of guitar strumming, twisted lyrics and abrasive electronic noise. Using only an old PC, a microphone from a 'Learn Japanese' boxset and a single low quality PC speaker, Connor Kirby-Long had created something fresh and original, and will be sure to give the sometimes tired electronic scene a much needed adrenaline boost. Not long after this he embarked on 'Handwriting' which slowly began to take hold of his life. Connor put his heart and soul into his music, often to the detriment of his everyday life. After nearly getting thrown out of school on numerous occasions, narrowly escaping rehab, appearing in county court and eventually graduating, the now seventeen year old used this album as a marker pen to sign a release form on his teenage years. In a year when electronic music has been striving to make the ever-elusive leap into pop, where indie-electronic albums are no longer an oddity, Khonnor's music has something different. The punk rock attitude, the fresh and heartfelt emotion, the unhidden fragility and anticlimaxes of adolescence. This seventeen year old from Vermont, in his debut album has compiled something so personal and original that many would fail to achieve in a lifetime. false http://www.emusic.com/album/Khonnor-Handwriting-MP3-Download/11225384.html 36 khonnor-handwriting 2008-06-09 handwriting Indie-electronica without a hint of pretense. 2009-06-09T15:26:37Z 5 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=25043 TYPE002 2009-05-30T12:31:36Z Mokira is better known as Swedish 'Clicks 'n Cuts' superstar Andreas Tilliander. After his hugely successful releases on Raster Noton and Mille Plateaux, he is bringing a more subdued sound to the Type label. This record shows an interesting shift in direction for the much plagiarised clicks and cuts stalwart. Instead of using the glitch as a basis for rhythmical experimentation, Andreas has brought his love of post rock and ambient music into the equation, and removed his signiture glitch-beats altogether. The method works beautifully, and Andreas has managed to forge his most mature and involving album yet. The best way to describe this record is to watch the sun rise over green fields as the mid-morning dew droplets fall from daffodils, and cherry blossom blows in the warm, tempered winds. This is an album which is totally digital, but at the same time, one of the most organic sounding ambient compositions for a long time. Heady electrically charged pulses seeped in a mirage of warm carressing drones assault the senses in every way, and each carefully formed track tumbles into the next. The seven works on this record form one master-track, indexed at seven key moments of change. Each piece can stand alone, but for the full effect they must be played together, from beginning to end. 'Album' is the most simplistic of names, it reveals nothing about the secrets within, but it could also mean so much. In fact the disc plays as a photo album of sorts, a document of sights and sounds, a diary from another dimension. So there we have it, a record which revels in the simplicity of it's concept, but hidden within is a treasure so beautiful that it takes the mind of a musical archaeologist to discover it. false http://www.emusic.com/album/Mokira-Album-MP3-Download/11225395.html 39 mokira-album 2008-06-09 album The Type debut for Sweden's Andreas Tilliander. 2009-06-09T15:26:37Z 4 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=25020 TYPE001 2009-05-30T12:33:27Z RJ Valeo will be a name familiar to few on the electronic scene, but this is all about to change. After a split release with Acoustic on Thomas 'Opiate' Knak's respected Hobby Industries imprint in 2002, RJ began crafting a mini album for Type which took the meticulous rhythmic explorations heard on his Hobby Industries release to vast and unexplored lands. With the current explosion in electronic music, it is often difficult to find music which stands out from the crowd. With 'September', Mr. Valeo chooses to stand back from the crowd, observe it, then fly overhead! Each track, while maintaining continuity, caresses the listener into travelling fresh and exotic lands. Whether it is hip hop, sleazy electro or a gritty digital landscape, the delicate balance of emotion, logic and machine is always maintained. We are all aware of the world's obsession with media and entertainment, and how one aspect of our culture can feed upon another seemingly unassociated part. The influence of the cinema on music has never been disputed, but RJ wears this influence clearly on his sleeve and these six tracks are most adeptly defined as pure cinematic indulgence. From the detuned urban washes of 'Jarus' and the sci-fi hip hop crunch of 'Cypher' to the dark night-club flicker of 'Saturday Afternoon', that widescreen venue is always just our eyelids away. The album finally draws to a close with the spiritual and melancholic 'Black Ice'. A fitting end to this thoughtful and meditational record, an album which does not stifle, but aids and encourages creative thought. While listening it is hard not to visualise exactly what this music would look like with the accompaniment of a cathode ray pulse, and that is exactly what the music is about ; putting the imagination to work and absorbing the power of sound. false http://www.emusic.com/album/RJ-Valeo-September-MP3-Download/11225339.html 40 rj-valeo-september 2008-06-09 september Shuffling Manhattan-bound electronic experimentations. 2009-06-09T15:26:37Z 9 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=25029 TYEP002 2009-05-30T12:13:17Z Residing in Cambridge, UK Ryan Teague has grown up with classical music. Learning classical guitar from an early age, and also becoming proficient in clarinet and a number of other obscure instruments, it was not long before Teague tried his hand at composing. However the trappings of standard classical composition were not of any interest to him, and he had already discovered the wide world of electronic music and experimental rock. Taking hold of Arvo Part with one hand and Biosphere with the other, Teague has gone on to create a record that crosses boundaries without ever resorting to genre stereotypes. He has managed to forge a record which sounds both timeless and startlingly fresh. The opening track 'Prelude I' begins with strings enswathed in digital noise and drifting bells, before a haunting choral vocal is introduced into the mix. Bringing together the operatic with electronics in such a way has almost never been achieved successfully, yet Teague manages effortly to blend the genres and emerge with something beautiful and uncluttered. It at once becomes cinematic but never resorts to being over sentimental. As the strings crash and percussion drives our emotion, never once does it feel tiresome and it always keeps the imagination active. On the final track 'Prelude VI' it is hard not to bring to mind the finer works of Cliff Martinez as bass bubbles underneath an echoing piano and electronic distortions: a stunning widescreen finale to this captivating story. It would be right to compare 'Six Preludes' to the work of Steve Reich or John Adams, as there are clearly similarities, yet Teague takes his sound to another place entirely. Sitting more closely with the more contemporary ECM catalogue and with artists such as Arve Henriksen or Marsen Jules, this is a marriage of classical and electronic rather than a mere experiment. Ryan Teague has begun a deep excavation into an exciting sound, and it is our hope that he continues to do so. false http://www.emusic.com/album/Ryan-Teague-Six-Preludes-MP3-Download/11225337.html 35 ryan-teague-six-preludes 2008-06-09 six-preludes A haunting collection of modern classical works from British composer Ryan Teague. 2009-06-09T15:26:37Z 7 http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=25036 TYEP001 2009-05-30T12:23:14Z Deaf Center is the mysterious project of Norwegian musical masterminds Erik Skodvin and Otto Totland. Old school friends, and both old hands at making solo music, they came together for a holiday in a Norwegian log-cabin and began sampling everything around them. Be it a game of table tennis, an old television broadcast or even friends and relatives having a conversation - nothing was safe. Before long the two had crafted a handful of personal, delicate works and so 'Neon City' was born. An unusual release in the electronica spectrum, instead of relying on synthesis, 'Neon City' prefers to warm itself with pianos and lightly plucked guitars. Deep, long grass and icy branches, burning timbers and secluded mountain haunts are conjured as the sounds breathe over even the casual listener. One cannot help but be won over by the magic of these two most gifted musicians. With their careful respect for space, rather than the essentials of software trickery, Erik and Otto manage to elevate this recording to a state unachieved by most. Somewhere stuck in time, not pinpointed or stereotyped by technological advances, but accessable from all angles. Influenced by the film soundtracks of Cliff Martinez and Yann Tiersen much more than the overworked glitch of Autechre, Neon City is something fresh for tired, dry ears. We will stop here to kindly thank Erik and Otto for brushing away the dust on their old tape recorder, kicking the snow from their doorsteps and lighting the fires of their imagination. Without this release, the world would surely be a much colder, darker place. As if all this was not enough, Type cohort Keith Kenniff (aka Helios) has stepped in to provide a remix, taking the beauty and simplicity of the original track and adding something entirely his own. Layers of guitar drift over smooth pulsing bass and chopped driving beats, giving us a wonderful, rich listening experience. The sheer genius of Mr. Keith Kenniff has not yet been acknowledged, but this delicately engineered remix is further proof that he is one of the most interesting producers around today. false http://www.emusic.com/album/Deaf-Center-Neon-City-MP3-Download/11225388.html 38 deaf-center-neon-city 2008-06-09 neon-city Deaf Center's enthralling debut. 2009-06-09T15:26:37Z 42 2009-11-26T17:53:47Z false 52 johann-johannsson-and-in-the-endless 2009-11-26T17:53:47Z 42 2009-11-26T17:54:03Z false 53 johann-johannsson-and-in-the-endless 2009-11-26T17:54:03Z 42 2009-11-26T17:54:12Z false 54 johann-johannsson-and-in-the-endless 2009-11-26T17:54:12Z 42 2009-11-26T17:54:44Z false 56 and-in-the-endless 2009-11-26T17:54:44Z 42 2009-11-26T17:54:53Z false 57 and-in-the-endless 2009-11-26T17:54:53Z 42 2009-11-26T17:55:01Z false 58 and-in-the-endless 2009-11-26T17:55:01Z 37 2010-01-18T16:04:51Z false 60 plays-wagner-volume-one 2010-01-18T16:04:51Z 37 2010-01-18T16:04:58Z false 61 plays-wagner-volume-one 2010-01-18T16:04:58Z