Like last week, tonight started with a long sunnO))) track from their latest album. Amazing orchestration and dynamics here.
Then sunnO)))’s Stephen O’Malley remixes English folk/experimental artist Pantaleimon.
Another beautiful track from Sydney composer William Gardiner’s debut EP Onliving takes its cue from Constellation label postrock bands as much as from contemporary composition.
And we had a couple of tracks from Tartaruga Records boss Max Bondi’s debut album M – an album with many hidden depths. The cello on the first track was contributed by Oliver Barrett, from whose bleeding heart narrative we took a very fine song, featuring a home-made rhythm loop, noises, and actual singing. It’s beautiful, and free to download (see below).
In Brisbane this weekend I found Swedish postrock/drone group tape’s Mort Aux Vaches CD, and a lovely one it is too.
Biggest news of the week for me is Icarus’ amazing new remix album. You can get it direct from Icarus from their Not Applicable label – highly recommended. Tonight we had an uncharacteristically bouncy remix from Frank Bretschneider, semi-randomized dubstep from Ital Tek, and something lovely from Ivan Pavlov aka CoH. Oh, and something folktronic (if you like) I picked up at the same time, from one half of Icarus as Isambard Khroustaliov.
Recently I finally picked up a copy of Perth postrock band The Tigers’ remix album from 2001. It’s truly fantastic, and postrock alumnus David Pajo’s remix as Papa M is one of many highlights.
Lucky Dragons keep up the high quality on their latest 12″, with blissful textures, tribal drumming and organically digital treatments.
I’m terribly excited about the new Kes Band album, of which I’ve only heard two tracks so far. Beautiful stringy stuff and a cute folk attitude. I didn’t quite get into Kes’s vocals, so it’s nice to see this is an instrumental album too!
Speaking of folk, I saw in Adelaide and couldn’t pass up a compilation of early tracks by the wonderful Pentangle, which features many of my favourite tracks. You can see them playing Train Song live on the BBC here on YouTube.
I also finally (in Perth – yes, it’s been that kind of weekend) nabbed a copy of Sufjan Stevens’ very first album, A Sun Came. Unusual and folky arrangements – wonderful stuff.
We had another excellent track from English cellist Danny Norbury, and then a couple of tracks from Belgian indie/postrock band Bed.
After some post-jazz (am I allowed to call it that?) from Canberra’s Pollen Trio, we had something charmingly demented from Loom, a Canberra/Sydney electronic duo.
As well as more wondrous dubsteppy sounds from Clubroot, tonight we heard Cloaks combining dubstep pretty much with noise. It’s a very noisy and bassy mini-album that I’ve only listened to once on an aeroplane, not the perfect environment, but “Against” was clearly a highlight.
Finally, as well as reprises from the last few weeks of idm/alt.hop duo Bike For Three! and The Rational Academy (with a lovely stripped-down acoustic guitar song), we heard from Mr 76ix’s Spirit of Man 12″, taking its initial cue (on the track we heard tonight) from a track of the same name on his most recent album. Acid squelches and lovely string pads – very SKAM!
sunnO))) – Alice [Southern Lord] {love the quote from Miles Davis’ “Shhh/Peaceful” on the trombone near the end…}
Pantaleimon – Bourne (somnialescent remix by Stephen O’Malley) [Durtro Jnana]
William Gardiner – Reverie [digital prerelease available here]
Max Bondi – Alina [Tartaruga Records] {feat. Oliver Barrett of bleeding heart narrative on cello}
bleeding heart narrative – suitcase [self-released, available for download from Distance Recordings]
Max Bondi – Aleph, Bet [Tartaruga Records]
tape – reversed flames [staalplaat]
Icarus – keet (Psittacidae remix by Frank Bretschneider) [Rump]
The Tigers – Beneath My Hands (Papa M remix) [Sensory Projects]
Lucky Dragons – We Made Our Own Government [Teenage Teardrops]
Kes Band – Patterson’s Curse [Mistletone]
Pentangle – Train Song [Shanachie]
Sufjan Stevens – We Are What You Say [Asthmatic Kitty]
Danny Norbury – Small Field (Live 19/09/08) [Lacie’s Records]
Bed – an itch [Ici D’Ailleurs]
Bed – plainfield [Ici D’Ailleurs]
Pollen Trio – Paleburst [hellosQuarerecordings]
Loom – Snail Shell [New Weird Australia] {free download!}
Icarus – Selfautoparent (Ital Tek remix) [Rump]
Cloaks – Against [3by3]
Clubroot – Embryo [Lo Dubs]
Icarus – Keet (Oxy mix by Ivan Pavlov/CoH) [Rump]
Isambard Khroustaliov – Ant, Tony and I [Not Applicable]
Mr 76ix – 1ne [SKAM]
Bike For Three! – One More Time Forever [Anticon]
The Rational Academy – A New Berlin [Someone Good]
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