Never ones to rest on their laurels, Australian psych rockers King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard have announced their fourteenth album (in less than seven years, by the way), Fishing for Fishies, will be released on April 26th.
According to lead singer Stu Mackenzie, “We tried to make a blues record. A blues-boogie-shuffle-kinda-thing, but the songs kept fighting it – or maybe it was us fighting them. Ultimately though we let the songs guide us this time; we let them have their own personalities and forge their own path. Paths of light, paths of darkness. This is a collection of songs that went on wild journeys of transformation.”
You can pre-order Fishing for Fishies at Flightless Records, and the band is about to embark on yet another massive tour across the globe. Catch them if you can. They never disappoint.
Doom / psych / goth rock band Blackwater Holylight announced they’re in the process of recording a new album due this October. Their self-titled debut album was one of my favorite debut records of 2018.
They’re also embarking on a European tour after a couple dates in the western U.S., so catch them if you can. I hope these ladies hit Austin’s Levitation festival in the fall.
BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT LIVE: 04/16 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge w/ R.I.P. 04/20 Los Angeles, CA @ Psycho Smokeout Festival 04/26 Linz, AT @ Stadtwerkstatt 05/01 Bristol, UK @ The Lanes 05/02 Newcastle, UK @ Trillans 05/03 London, UK @ DesertFest 05/04 Liege, BE @ La Zone 05/05 Berlin, DE @ DesertFest 05/08 Malmo, SE @ Plan B 05/09 Stockholm, SE @ Undergangen 05/10 Gothenburg, SE W Truckstop Alaska 05/11 Esbjerg, DK @ Esbjerg Fuzzfestival 05/13 Oldenburg, DE @ MTS LP Store 05/14 Berlin, DE @ Zukunft 05/15 Vienna, AT @ Aerena Beisl 05/16 Olten, CH @ Coq’D’or 05/17 Innsbruck, AT @ PMK
“Claude Fontaine’s music perfectly captures the thrill that comes with discovering an excellent old LP at a record store.” — Noisey
“The Los Angeles-based Fontaine is preparing for the release of her debut album […] ‘Cry for Another’ is a wonderful early warning.” — Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles-based songwriter and singer, ClaudeFontaine, announces her debut, self-titled album, out April26th on InnovativeLeisure (LA-based label who has worked with the likes of BADBADNOTGOOD, Rhye, Allah-Las, NosajThing, HanniElKhatib, NickWaterhouse, Classixx, etc). Today, she shares lead single, “Pretending He Was You,” which premiered this morning via Noisey.
Last month, Fontaine presented listeners with early single “Cry For Another,” a track praised by the LosAngelesTimes as “a straight-up rocksteady song that conjures the essence of Kingston, Jamaica, in the late 1960s” and a “wonderful early warning” of what’s to come. Fontaine even made a special appearance at Ulla Johnson’s NewYorkFashionWeek show in support of the single; Johnson, immediately upon hearing the track, personal reached out to Fontaine to perform it.
A love song to classic reggae and Brazilian music, ClaudeFontaine is an album honoring that feeling of finding a home away from home. Fontaine wrote and demoed her debut album after living in London off Portobello Road and stumbling into Honest Jon’s, a long-lived spot for fringe records collected from the furthest edges of the world.
She was immediately captivated by the old StudioOne, Trojan, and TreasureIslerecords she was discovering—the same records that got TheClash covering “Police And Thieves,” and the Slits sharing a bill with SteelPulse. “I wandered in one day and from the first moment I was under a spell,” Fontaine says. “I was transfixed.”
Tracked at both KingsizeSoundLabs in Northeast Los Angeles and SageandSound, Chet Baker’s legendary old studio in Hollywood, ClaudeFontaine was recorded with a murderer’s row of session players, including AirtoMoreira, the Brazilian drummer whose work both solo and in collaboration—with MilesDavis, AstrudGilberto, ChickCorea, AnnettePeacock—make him an actual living legend, TonyChin, (Althea and Donna, King Tubby, Dennis Brown), RonnieMcQueen (Steel Pulse), RockDeadrick (Ziggy Marley), AndreDeSantanna (Sergio Mendes, Flora Purim), GibiDosSantos (Sergio Mendes), NandoDuarte (Gal Costa, Elza Soares), FabianoDoNascimento (Mia Doi Todd), and JaimeHinckson (Hollie Cook, Daniel ‘Bambaata’ Marley).
“I hope this record will transport people,” said Fontaine. “I want it to feel like those lost records, like it got lost in the dusty bottom bin of some world music store in London because that’s how I felt when I walked in to that record store. I want it to be its own world.”
For those in the LA area, Fontaine will celebrate the album’s release with a showatZebulon on Fri. April 26th. Ticket are available here.
ClaudeFontaine Tracklist: 01. Cry For Another 02. Hot Tears 03. Little Sister 04. Love Street 05. Play By Play 06. Pretending He Was You 07. I’ll Play The Fool 08. Strings of Your Guitar 09. Footprints In The Sand 10. Our Last Goodbye
The Pitchfork Music Festival announces today the full 2019 lineup, including headlinersHAIM, The Isley Brothers, and Robyn. The 14th Annual Pitchfork Music Festival returns to Chicago’s Union ParkFriday, July 19 through Sunday, July 21.
The festival opens on Friday with one of HAIM’s only performances of 2019, Mavis Staples, Earl Sweatshirt, Jeremih, Sky Ferreira, Low, Soccer Mommy, Julia Holter, Grapetooth, Rico Nasty, Valee, Standing on the Corner, MIKE, and Great Black Music Ensemble.
On Saturday, the festival presents The Isley Brothers’ 60th Anniversary Celebration, Belle & Sebastian, Stereolab’s first North American show in a decade, Kurt Vile, Pusha T, Parquet Courts, Freddie Gibbs, Amber Mark, Jay Som, Cate Le Bon, Tirzah, CHAI, Ric Wilson, and Lala Lala.
Sunday, the final day of the festival, features Robyn, Charli XCX, Whitney, Khruangbin, Clairo, Snail Mail, Neneh Cherry, Ibeyi, Amen Dunes, JPEGMAFIA, Flasher, Black Midi, Dreezy, and Tasha.
The 2019 Pitchfork Music Festival lineup spans genres and generations, placing cutting-edge artists of today alongside some of the most revolutionary acts of our time. The balance between the treasured and the new makes this event stand out as one of the most celebrated weekends in music.
“This summer’s Festival will be my first as editor,” said Pitchfork editor-in-chief Puja Patel. “It’s exciting that it also features such an inclusive lineup. More than half the artists performing are women, including modern pioneers of indie rock and hip-hop, legends of soul and R&B, and a headlining set by the dance-pop icon Robyn. For a national festival that’s so important to a larger music community, the scope of this year’s booking feels especially meaningful.”
“There are some one-of-a-kind moments in our lineup this year,” said Pitchfork festival director Adam Krefman, “not just big celebratory moments, but also moments with artists who have collaborated recently or have had clear influences on each other over the years. It’s a sign of Pitchfork’s standing in the festival landscape that we’re able to pull together such a special event. And we’re fortunate to have an audience who’s ready to follow us down these curatorial rabbit holes, eager to be surprised year after year.”
Pitchfork Music Festival tickets are on sale now. Three-day passes are $175; single day passes are $75. The Pitchfork PLUS upgrade is $375 for a three-day pass and $160 for a single-day pass. It includes exclusive amenities such as: premium food vendors and private specialty bars, air conditioned bathrooms, shaded seating and dining areas, expedited entry to the festival and “come and go” re-entry privileges, a welcome bag with festival essentials, storage lockers, and more. More details are available here. Prices for all passes will increase after May 31.
FRIDAY, JULY 19 HAIM Mavis Staples Earl Sweatshirt Jeremih Sky Ferreira Low Soccer Mommy Julia Holter Grapetooth Rico Nasty Valee Standing on the Corner MIKE Great Black Music Ensemble
SATURDAY, JULY 20 The Isley Brothers – 60th Anniversary Celebration Belle & Sebastian Stereolab Kurt Vile Pusha T Parquet Courts Freddie Gibbs Amber Mark Jay Som Cate Le Bon Tirzah CHAI Ric Wilson Lala Lala
SUNDAY, JULY 21 Robyn Charli XCX Whitney Khruangbin Clairo Snail Mail Neneh Cherry Ibeyi Amen Dunes JPEGMAFIA Flasher Black Midi Dreezy Tasha
PRE-ORDER MIDNIGHT StefChura.lnk.to/Midnight “For most people who create art I would assume there is some kind of deep unanswerable hole in your soul as to why you’re making it…” So says Stef Chura ahead of the release of Midnight, her gritty, vehement new album, recorded and produced by Will Toledo of Car Seat Headrest – and her first new collection of songs for Saddle Creek, out June 7th. Illuminating that search for answers with a fevered sense of exploration, Midnight is a bold leap forward from Messes, Stef’s contagious debut album, with every aspect of her new work finding bold ways to express itself as it rips through twelve restless and relentless new tracks. She also shares the first single, “Method Man, ” a boisterous three-minutes that melds jagged, skewed guitars with a distinctive voice that has a new-found sense of confidence while touching on a vulnerable moment in Stef’s life. She also announces a North American tour in support of the new album. She explains “Method Man” below:
A long time ago I was pondering the literal words “Method Man” while listening to Wu-Tang. There was a person in my life that I had a confusing array of emotions for, sometimes I was in love with him, I admired and looked up to him, I thought of him as superior to me. He was older than me and I was a teenager. At that age I experienced a titanic amount of anxiety that usually expressed itself as silence.
This song was born out of a total frustration regarding a man who seemed “methodical” to me. He was literate. He waxed poetic. Almost someone…how do I say this…that you wanted to be condescending to you? As long as they were talking to you. He drank a lot of energy drinks and had this overall outlook that no one understood him. That he was in on some kind of cosmic secret that I couldn’t get. He smoked so many cigs it stained his fingers yellow.
He was always talking, and I was so enamored with this person. I was always nervous to reply. He would go on and on for hours. He sometimes would look at me and be like “oh maybe you won’t get this…. maybe you don’t get this.” I was too terrified to say much.
A couple of years on from the release of Messes, Stef is still based in Detroit, that most singular city which has seen it all, from the no-mans-land of its initial collapse through to the resurgent place it is now. Stef found inspiration from the people she surrounded with herself with, more so than the place itself. It’s no surprise that Midnight is testament to those kind of characteristics; a rugged and robust burst of defiance. “I’m usually dealing with the context of what I can’t say or haven’t said,” Stef says. “A kind of spiritual bondage that I would say most people, probably a lot of female bodied ones, put themselves through.”
Which is to say that if its predecessor was a raw, somewhat unadorned document of Stef’s work, then Midnight is the muscular, swaggering evolution. “This album has a depth to it and a particular sound because of Will,” Stef states regarding Toledo’s input, whose spiky nuances can be found across the length and breadth of Midnight, the record presenting an exhilarating rush of sound and color as Stef’s spirited vocal finds and signature guitar sounds unravel alongside in a thrilling meeting of ideas and influences; dispelling demons, song by song.
Equal parts thrilling and angsty, Midnight is a testament to the collaborative process, a record that makes the very most of those who came together to make it, but more than that, it’s a firm statement of tenacity and perseverance, of not resting on your laurels but leaping forwards no matter the situation you find yourself in. From out of one day and into the next.
MIDNIGHT TRACKLISTING 1. All I Do is Lie 2. Scream 3. Degrees 4. Method Mad 5. Trumbull 6. Jumpin’ Jack 7. Sincerely Yours 8. 3D Girl 9. Sweet Sweet Midnight 10. Love Song 11. They’ll Never 12. Eyes Without a Face
STEF CHURA TOUR DATES Tue. April 23 – Ann Arbor, MI @ Blind Pig Fri. July 5 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle Sat. July 6 – Detroit, MI @ Deluxx Fluxx Sun. July 7 – Toronto, ON @ The Drake Mon. July 8 – Montreal, QC @ Casa del Popolo Tue. July 9 – Boston, MA @ Great Scott Fri. July 12 – Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade Sat. July 13 – Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA Mon. July 15 – Washington, DC @ Comet Ping Pong Tue. July 16 – Durham, NC @ The Pinhook Wed. July 17 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl Fri. July 19 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa Sat. July 20 – Houston, TX @ The Satellite Sun. July 21 – Austin, TX @ The Mohawk Mon. July 22 – Dallas, TX @ Regal Room Thu. July 25 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar Fri. July 26 – San Diego, CA @ Sodabar Sat. July 27 – Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Theatre Sun. July 28 – San Francisco, CA @ Cafe du Nord Tue. July 30 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios Wed. July 31 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza Thu. Aug. 1 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret Fri. Aug. 2 – Spokane, WA @ Lucky You Lounge Sat. Aug. 3 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux Mon. Aug. 5 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court Tue. Aug. 6 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge Wed. Aug. 7 – Omaha, NE @ Reverb Fri. Aug. 9 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry Sat. Aug. 10 – Milwaukee, WI @ Backroom at Colectivo
PRAISE FOR MESSES
“Detroit indie rocker Stef Chura has the kind of magnetic voice that music writers fall into ditches attempting to describe” – Pitchfork
“Her music recalls the propulsive, pop-driven rock of icons like Liz Phair and Hole; her conversational, confessional lyrics add a touch of folksiness.” – NPR Music
“In Messes, you can hear the idea that DIY rock music can be as warm and friendly and melodic as any other kind of music.” – Stereogum
“there are a bunch of reasons you should pay attention to the grunge pop songstress.” – Noisey
“A major highlight on the record is Chura’s voice, which is prone to breathy, almost yodel-y stretches, and can take the simplest lyric and twist it into what sounds like a hundred knots until, suddenly, you realize that’s the chorus.” – MTV News
Midnight will be available digitally, on CD, cassette, black LP, and as a limited-edition LP pressed on glow-in-the-dark and midnight blue splattered vinyl (200 copies exclusive to the Saddle Creek Store).
Mdou Moctar presents his newest single, “Tumastin,” from the upcoming full length, Ilana: The Creator (out 3/29 on Sahel Sounds). A departure from the high energy wedding rock synonymous with Tuareg guitar, “Tumastin” further showcases Mdou’s versatility, in what might be the first of its kind of Saharan shoegaze. Singing with ghostly reverbed vocals over echoing-with-whammy wow and fluttering guitars, Mdou sounds a plaintive note for his “Tumastin,” or “people back home.” Nostalgic with a steady loping drum crash, it ends in dreamy, Julie Cruise-inspired reprieve.
The song is premiered in conjunction with an interview with Stereogum, who today named Mdou an “Artist to Watch,” making him, by our count, the first Tuareg guitarist to be named as such.
Don’t miss Mdou on tour this Spring, as he brings his electrifying shows to our continent.
“TUMASTIN” LYRICS My people are dispersed across different countries It hurts my heart With such pain it stops the blood from running in my veins
For me it is my heart that pains me with a deep sadness as I pity the women who live in the desert
Look at the other countries And look at the world before us The men don’t sleep but work hard To bring the women into the shade What a beautiful idea
PRAISE FOR “KAMANE TARHANIN”
“It’s easy to imagine the breadth of Mocatar’s musical influences. [‘Kamane Tarhanin’] is a droning, hypnotic, and psychedelic meditation.” – NPR Music
“blistering and gritty psych rock” – Stereogum
“While nothing captures the live Mdou Moctar experience, this is as close as I’ve heard.” –Afropop Worldwide
MDOU MOCTAR TOUR DATES Thu. March 28 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Andy Warhol Museum Fri. March 29 – Cleveland, OH @ Now That’s Class Sat. March 30 – Detroit, MI @ Trinosophes Sun. March 31 – Kalamazoo, MI @ Bell’s Eccentric Cafe Mon. April 1 – Newport, KY @ Southgate House Revifval – Sanctuary Tue. April 2 – Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups Wed. April 3 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop Thu. April 4 – Chicago, IL @ The Empty Bottle Fri. April 5 – Milwaukee, WI @ Milwaukee Psych Festival Sat. April 6 – Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center Sun. April 7 – Omaha, NE @ Pageturners Lounge Mon. April 8 – Denver, CO @ Globe Hall Tue. April 9 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge Wed. April 10 – Garden City, ID @ Visual Arts Collective Fri. April 12 – Olympia, WA @ Octapas Sat. April 13 – Portland, OR @ Star Theater Sun. April 14 – Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey Tue. April 16 – Felton, CA @ Flynn’s Cabaret Thu. April 18 – Oakland, CA @ Red Bay Coffee Fri. April 19 – Visalia, CA @ The Cellar Door Sat. April 20 – Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon Sun. April 21 – San Diego, CA @ The Casbah Mon. April 22 – Tucson, AZ @ 191 Toole Tue. April 23 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sister Thu. April 25 – Austin, TX @ Hotel Vegas Fri. April 26 – Lafayette, LA @ Festival International de Louisiane Sat. April 27 – Lafayette, LA @ Festival International de Louisiane Sun. April 28 – New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Tue. April 30 – Birmingham, AL @ Saturn Fri. June 28 – Sun. June 30 – North Adams, MA @ Solid Sound Festival
WATCH VIDEO FOR “JUMBO’S” http://smarturl.it/JumbosYT
LISTEN TO “JUMBO’S” http://smarturl.it/JumbosStrm
Today, Protomartyr finally answers what is probably their most frequently asked question: “When are you going to reissue your first album?” For fans of the band, No Passion All Technique has long been something of a mystery. Not available on streaming services; long out of print (and going for ridiculous prices on Discogs). Why was this album so elusive? On May 3rd, it ceases to be out of reach, as Domino will release a deluxe reissue of No Passion All Technique, along with an expanded digital version that includes four non-album tracks from the same recording session – “King Boots”, “Bubba Helms”, and “Cartier E.G.s” from the Dreads 85 84 7”, and “Whatever Happened To The Saturn Boys?”, which has never before been released. Additionally, today the band shares a video for longtime live staple and fan favorite “Jumbo’s,” directed by frequent Protomartyr-collaborator Yoonha Park – also responsible for the band’s “Don’t Go To Anacita” and “Wheel of Fortune” videos from their past two releases.
When Protomartyr—vocalist Joe Casey, guitarist Greg Ahee, bassist Scott Davidson, drummer Alex Leonard—stepped into a studio together for the first time, in November of 2011, they didn’t know they were about to record an album. With only four hours of studio time booked and one case of beer between them, their plan was to walk out with enough songs for a seven-inch single. Instead, at the suggestion of engineer Chris Koltay, the newly formed Detroit outfit recorded as much as they possibly could, in what little time they had.
They left with 21 songs—enough material for two singles *and* a full-length album that, years later, is still vital listening.
Sold out and out of print shortly after its original release on Urinal Cake Records in October 2012, No Passion All Technique is a sometimes-messy look at one of rock’s most magnetic bands—and lyricists—just as they were coming to life. Primal, cerebral, heartbreaking, funny—it’s an accidental tour de force that’s also become an unlikely collector’s item. “My memory is shot,” Casey says, “but I appreciate now, looking back, how raw and off-the-cuff it was. There’s tons of mistakes in it and that wasn’t because we planned on it. We still can’t really admit that it’s as good as it is. You never want to say that your first is the best, but I’m happy that the first ended up not being terrible. It gave us doorway to what we’d want to do later. ”
Cover art
NO PASSION ALL TECHNIQUE DELUXE EDITION TRACKLISTING 1. In My Sphere 2. Machinist Man 3. Hot Wheel City 4. 3 Swallows 5. Free Supper 6. Jumbo’s 7. Ypsilanti 8. Too Many Jewels 9. (Don’t You) Call Me Out My Name 10. How He Lived After He Died 11. Feral Cats 12. Wine of Ape 13. Principalities 14. King Boots (Bonus Track) 15. Bubba Helms (Bonus Track) 16. Cartier E.G.s (Bonus Track) 17. Whatever Happened to the Saturn Boys? (Bonus Track)
No Passion All Technique is available to pre-order from Domino on limited pressing starburst vinyl w/ 20-page zine, CD, and digital download. The digital release includes four non-album bonus tracks, captured during the same recording session as No Passion All Technique.
Partner are sharing the second song from their forthcoming new record entitled Saturday the 14th. “Tell You Off,” originally debuted on their Tiny Desk session, “We wrote this song in Josée’s bedroom last year in Windsor Ontario and it’s the first time we’ve had to bleep a lyric in a song.” – Partner
Stereogum calls it “…twangingly catchy. It’s pretty wacko, filled with farm animal samples and bleeped-out curses and a flippant attitude that’d fit right in at your local honky-tonk.”
Earlier, Partner shared the video for “Long and McQuade,” an ode to the Canadian music store chain. Watch the video HERE.
Saturday the 14th, out April 5th, follows Partner’s 2017 debut, In Search of Lost Time which landed on NPR, Stereogum, Noisey, Exclaim, and CBC Music year end lists. Pre-order Saturday the 14th HERE.
Partner will tour Canada and the Mid-West this spring.
TOUR DATES April 13 – The Danforth Music Hall, Toronto ON+ April 18 – The Capitol Music Club, Saskatoon SK+ April 19 – The Starlite Room, Edmonton AB+ April 20 – The Palace Theatre, Calgary AB+ April 22 – Spiritbar, Nelson BC+ April 23 – Sapphire Nightclub, Kelowna BC+ April 25 – Cactus Jacks, Kamloops BC+ April 26 – Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver BC+ April 27 – Capital Ballroom, Victoria BC+ April 30 – Bo’s Bar & Grill, Red Deer AB+ May 02 – The Exchange, Regina SK+ May 03 – The Garrick, Winnipeg MB+ May 05 – The Hideout, Chicago IL May 06 – The Cactus Club, Milwaukee WI May 07 – UFO, Detroit MI + supporting Wintersleep
The Beths are back in North America for their largest headline tour in support of 2018’s breakout album, Future Me Hates Me(available now via Carpark Records). The band has already sold out shows in Toronto, New York City, Washington, DC, and Chicago. Today, they share the video for “Uptown Girl” compiled on their last North American tour in the fall. After this current run which includes a stop at SXSW, The Beths will continue onto Australia and Europe where they’ve started selling out shows and upgrading to bigger venues. Then, they’ll bookend the summer festival season at Primavera Sound, Pickathon and Pukkelpop. The band will also be releasing its debut EP, Warm Blood, on vinyl for the first time via Carpark Records. The official release date is April 26th with some copies being available to purchase on tour soon. Pre-order here.
Sun. Mar. 10 – Tampa, FL @ Festival Gasparilla Mon. Mar. 11-Fri. Mar. 15 – Austin, TX @ SXSW (w/ Bad Bad Hats) Sat. Mar. 16 – Dallas, TX @ Not So Fun Wknd (w/ Bad Bad Hats) Sun. Mar. 17 – Houston, TX @ Satellite Bar (w/ Bad Bad Hats) Thu. Mar. 21 – Melbourne, AUS @ Forum Fri. Mar. 22 – Melbourne, AUS @ Forum Sun. Mar. 24 – Hobart, AUS @ Republic Bar & Café Thu. Mar. 28 – Fortitude Valley, AUS @ The Foundry Fri. Mar. 29 – Fortitude Valley @ The Tivoli Sat. Mar. 30 – Newtown, AUS @ Enmore Theatre Sun. Mar. 31 – Leichhardt, AUS @ Crowbar Thu. Apr. 4 – Collingwood, AUS @ The Gasometer Hotel Fri. Apr. 5 – Adelaide, AUS @ Thebarton Theatre Sat. Apr. 6 – Adelaide, AUS @ Jive Thu. Apr. 11 – Perth, AUS @ Badlands Bar Sat. Apr. 13 – Perth, AUS @ Astor Theatre Tue. May 7 – Birmingham, UK @ Hare & Hounds Wed. May 8 – Oxford, UK @ The Wheatsheaf Thu. May 9-Sat. May 11 @ Brighton, UK @ The Great Escape Sun. May 12 – Leeds, UK @ Gold Sounds Festival Mon. May 13 – Edinburgh, UK @ Sneaky Pete’s (SOLD OUT) Tue. May 14 – Glasgow, UK @ G2 (MOVED DUE TO DEMAND) Wed. May 15 – Manchester, UK @ Band on the Wall (MOVED DUE TO DEMAND) Thur. May. 16 – London, UK @ The Dome, Tufnell Park (SOLD OUT) Fri. May 17 – Bristol, UK @ Fleece (MOVED DUE TO DEMAND) Sat. May 18 – Wrexham, UK @ Ty Pawb Arts Hub (Focus Wales) Sun. May 19 – Ramsgate, UK @ Ramsgate Music Hall Tue. May 21 – Paris, FR @ Supersonic Wed. May 22 – Colmar, FR @ Le Grillen Thu. May 23 – Lyon, FR @ Sonic Sat. May 25 – Madrid, ES @ Tomavistas Tue. May 28 – Dornbirn, AT @ Spielboden Wed. May 29 – Munster, DE @ Gleis 22 Thu. May 30 – Groningen, NL @ VERA Fri. May 31 – Nijmegen, NL @ Merleyn Sat. June 1 – Hilvarenbeek, NL @ Best Kept Secret Festival Sun. June 2 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound Sat. Aug. 3 – Happy Valley, OR @ Pickathon Thu. Aug. 15 – Trondheim, NO @ Pstereo Sun. Aug. 18 – Haasselt, BE @ Pukkelpop Wed. Aug. 28 – London, UK @ Heaven
Smalltown Supersound is pleased to announce the release of 58-year-old Norwegian composer Erik Wøllo’s Sources. Early Works 1986 – 1992, out March 29th. Additionally, Wøllo shares the ethereal and atmospheric “Ody to Sea.”
Listen to “Ody to Sea” – https://youtu.be/rBw8rKXHDcM
Wøllo, who has been a professional artist since 1980, has covered a wide range of styles, from rock and jazz to experimental electronic and classical music. He was one of the first Norwegian composers who adapted a minimalistic style, building a bridge between grand symphonic realms and gentle, serene sounds. His musical statements range from slowly-drifting kaleidoscopic passages to epic soaring guitar melancholy, to upbeat ever-changing sequences and compelling melodies. Possessing a sense of drama and storytelling, Wøllo has been composing and performing music for films, theater, ballets, and art exhibitions, as well as music for string quartets and large orchestras.
Sources joins Wøllo’s nearly 40-album catalogue. Comprised of 10 previously unreleased tracks, Sources was originally recorded surrounding the album sessions that spun Dreams Of Pyramids (1984), Traces (1985), and Silver Beach (1986). This was the start of a very fruitful and inspired period for Wøllo, thanks to modernized technology like MIDI and inspiration from music from all over the globe. “There was lots of new equipment coming out during these years, and this reflects the music I made at the time.” Wøllo says. “There was also a lot of great electronic music released. I was inspired by artists like Hassell, Eno and Budd. Also a big influence was Klaus Schulze after seeing him at the legendary Oslo club, Club 7 in 1984.” The spacey sounds on Sources show a clear line of cosmic excursions between Wøllo’s early releases to modern day fellow Norwegian travelers Lindstrøm, Bjørn Torske, and Prins Thomas.
Sources remained untouched, transferred from tapes that Wøllo had made years ago, before Helge Sten (Deathprod) mastered the material in his Audio Virus Lab. The collection was mostly created with a Roland MSQ 700 sequencer, in real time with several MIDI synths/modules recorded directly to either a 2-track stereo recorder or 4-track Tascam Portastudio.
“I am very happy that the album feels like one whole. I do not often look back, and I rarely listen to my own releases after they are released,” says Wøllo. “Sometimes I get positively surprised discovering new aspects of my older material. This is music made on impulse and with an eagerness to create. Not much thought was put into how it would be released. At least this is the way I remember it.”
Sources. Early Works 1986 – 1992 Track list: 1. Blooming 2. Swamp Land 3. Soft Journey 4. Under Water 5. The Near Future 6. Big Sky 7. The Movie 8. Luftreise 9. Native Dance 10. Ody At Sea
Pre-orderSources. Early Works 1986 – 1992 http://smarturl.it/sts342-preorder
