British musician and producer Kelly Lee Owens shares new tracks, “Let It Go” and “Omen,” available digitally now and via limited 12” on July 5th via Smalltown Supersound. “Let It Go” was created for Owens’ DJ set at London’s Fabric earlier this year and made available yesterday via Adult Swim’s Singles Series. “Let It Go” is a high energy club track, featuring hard-hitting beats and Owens’ feathery vocals. “While working on my second album, I had my Room 1 Fabric DJ set coming up, so I decided to make a track for fun, to play out. There’s no better way of testing out new stuff than on that legendary sound system,” says Owens. “Let It Go / Omen” follows her “immensely varied and fully-formed” (Pitchfork) self-titled debut, released in 2017.
After playing dates in Europe, Owens will play DJ sets in New York and California. Then, she will return to Europe to appear at select festivals. All dates are below.
Listen to “Let It Go” – https://youtu.be/gSitKhOPmLY
Listen to “Omen” – https://youtu.be/jF3fT5SYDjk
Kelly Lee Owens Tour Dates: Sat. June 1 – Leeds, UK @ Inner City Festival (DJ Set) Fri. June 7 – London, UK @ Field Day Sat. June 15 – Barcelona, ES @ Razzmatazz (DJ Set) Fri. July 5 – New York, NY @ Elsewhere (DJ Set) Sat. July 6 – New York, NY @ Location TBA (DJ Set) Thu. July 11 – San Francisco, CA @ 1015 Folsom (DJ Set) Fri. July 12 – Los Angeles, CA @ 1720 (DJ Set) Sat. July 13 – Mexico City, MX @ Yu Yu (DJ Set) Fri. July 19 – Cheshire, UK @ Blue Dot Festival Fri. Aug. 2 – Ghent, BE @ Absolutely Free Festival (DJ Set) Thu. Aug. 8 – Mon. Aug. 12 – Barcelona, ES @ Boaty Weekender Cruise Fri. Aug. 30 – Salisbury, UK @ End of The Road Festival
I happened to be in Tucson, Arizona on the same night of the final show of Bayonne and Palm Daze‘s most recent tour. I’d wanted to see Bayonne since I’d heard his fine album Primitives and missed his set at Levitation Austin a few years ago.
They were playing at a small club in downtown Tucson called 191 Toole (named for the address). It’s a nice small venue with no bad places to stand for a view of the stage. It’s the kind of venue I’d love to own – small bar, good-sized room, ample parking, not far from a college campus. Fewer than forty people showed up for the gig, probably due to that weekend being graduation weekend for the University of Arizona. It’s a shame for those who missed it, because Bayonne and Palm Daze closed their tour with a great show.
Palm Daze, the Austin psychedelic dream-pop three-piece opened the show and played most, if not all, of their 2017 EP Controls (review coming). Eric McClung and Tyler Delaune bounced back and forth with synths, bass, and percussion while drummer Ryan Heath laid down serious chops. I was hooked by the third song.
Palm Daze (L-R: Ryan Heath, Tyler Delaune, Eric McClung)
Mr. Heath joined Bayonne (Roger Sellers) onstage for drum kit smashing while Mr. Sellers sang and played synths, guitar, and / or percussion, looping a lot of it on top of each other for great effect. Many artists would’ve phoned in a performance on the last night of a tour to a crowd of fewer than forty people, but Bayonne went for broke as he wowed the crowd with tracks of not only Primitives, but also his fine new record – Drastic Measures (again, review coming). Empty water bottles, sweaty towels, and broken drum sticks littered the stage by the time they were done.
This small show currently has the top spot on my list of best concerts of 2019, and will probably remain in the top 10 by the end of the year. Bayonne is playing Lollapalooza this year, and I can tell you his set will be a must-see if you are there.
Bayonne creating aural magic.
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I’ll admit that it took me a couple listens to “get” spoony bard‘s newest album, Old Friends. After those first two listens, I realized there’s nothing to “get.” It’s something to experience.
spoony bard, otherwise known as David Nord, blends hip hop with jazz, ambient sounds, electro, synthwave, and even a bit of vaporwave into a mix that settles on you like incense smoke. Starting with a tip of the hat to De La Soul with “Ego Trippin’ Part 99,” bard’s rapping slides in and then back out almost before you notice it’s gone thanks to his cool beats. “Levitate Me Later” is a low-tuned funky cut that reminds me of some of Flying Lotus‘ peppier tracks.
I love the title of “Dizziness of Freedom,” and the wobbly synths in it emphasize the weird, sometimes overwhelming sense that comes with having to choose from so many damn things on the menu. The bright synths on “Extralewd 1” sound like the opening credits music of a 1970’s blaxploitation movie made in the year 2170. The phat bass on “Megalixir” is like something from a sex scene in that same movie.
You can’t help but sway to the beats of “Areia.” “Extralewd 2” brings in some nice guitar riffs to the synth-beats and time-warping bass. “Note to self, fake it ’til you make it, shake it, don’t break it,” bard raps at the beginning of “Note to Self.” Judging from the poppy, catchy beats (that almost become industrial rhythms) of the track, I think he’s done faking it. The same holds true for “Limbo,” which is full of sharp beats. The record ends with “Far Flung” – a twisting, bending synth-heavy track that is both catchy and weird at the same time.
bard has written that he titled the album “Old Friends” because he thought of a lot of old friends while making it. His friends must be some cool cats because Old Friends is a cool record.
Norwegian producer AndréBratten is pleased to announce his new album, PaxAmericana, out June28th via SmalltownSupersound. Additionally, Bratten shares the funk-beat driven lead single, “HS.”
In just five years, Bratten has established himself as a mercurial and uncompromising figure in modern-day electronics. After earning a reputation as a serious performer with a dark, cavalier side through his live shows and DJ sets on the European club scene, Bratten moved from the center of Oslo to the suburbs. The change of scenery had a positive effect on every aspect of his life, allowing him to focus on his young family and studio work. It took him a year to build his new studio in his garden, and then another year to patch all the hardware together again and relearn his music-making process. The first tracks to emerge from his suburban base surfaced last year on Smalltown Supersound as a series of three 12-inches. These are lush, driving funk cuts swaddled in curdled synthesis that find Bratten exploring a new way to conjure the spirit of the acts he loved in his early teens: Boards of Canada, Autechre, and the late Drexciya producer James Stinson’s TheOtherPeoplePlace and Transllusion projects.
Pax Americana presents three of the series’ softer tracks, alongside three new numbers which add a shade of menace to the record. Following his debut LP Be a Man You Ant released on Oslo label FullPupp and his previous Smalltown Supersound releases “Math Ilium Ion” EP and Gode, PaxAmericanapresents Bratten using a pragmatic approach. He deliberately produced these track in an old-fashioned, analogue fashion, restricting himself to an 808, an old sequencer, a reel-to-reel tape and a vintage mixer that once belonged to ABBA in the 1980s. Bratten bought the desk from a rockabilly musician in Norway who’d acquired it from a Swedish TV station. Describing the bubblebath boogie of Pax Americana, he says: “I was trying to make a steady dance record without being swooshy. When I started listening to techno as a kid there wasn’t this melodic stuff, so the record is more of a vibe, a feeling.”
Across a handful of sketches, Bratten has sketched out an enchanted vision of the world – a kind of psychedelic dystopia – as he seeks to fuel his lifelong obsession with sound. “I’ve always been fascinated by how a sound can make you feel, without being something you can touch,” he says. “I’ve always been more interested in sounds than music.”
Lust For Youth – the Scandinavian duo of Hannes Norrvide and Malthe Fischer – shares their new single “By No Means” with an accompanying video shot and edited by the band itself. “The video is a tribute to Mexico City and the beautiful people we met on our first trip there earlier this year,” they explain.
The band returns to North America in October for a string of shows beginning at Elsewhere in Brooklyn, NY, and wrapping up at Sleeping Village in Chicago, IL. The tour will mark the first time Lust For Youth perform many of the songs from their new album, a self-titled collection of eight songs, being released June 7th on Sacred Bones. They sound brighter than they ever have before, taking tips from some of the flirtiest Eurobeat to aid their new direction.
Watch “By No Means” Video – https://youtu.be/ThUsUME78Os
Pre-orderLust For Youth – https://lustforyouth.bandcamp.com/album/lust-for-youth
Lust For Youth Live: Thu. Oct. 17 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere Fri. Oct. 18 – Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall Tue. Oct. 22 – Somerville, MA @ ONCE Ballroom Wed. Oct. 23 – Montreal, QC @ La Vitrola Thu. Oct. 24 – Toronto, ON @ The Garrison Fri. Oct. 25 – Detroit, MI @ UFO Factory Sat. Oct. 26 – Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village
“End of World Party” is the newest single by London-based electronic quartet HÆLOS off their sophomore album, Any Random Kindness, out May 10th via Infectious. Following a string of previously released tracks including the “anxious and melancholic” (Stereogum) “Boy / Girl,” “Kyoto,” and “Buried in The Sand,” “End of World Party” is a satirical look at disregarding the apocalyptic aspects of humanity and focusing on the now.
“‘End of World Party’ went through a few different versions, and then we took things from other songs and these new melodies materialized that we ran with. There’s a lot of fun production in it,” Arthur Delaney explains regarding the song’s unique sonic spin. Lotti Benardout elaborates on its themes, “It’s a bit more tongue-in-cheek than some of the other tracks on the record. We’re all humans in the end—you often need to turn yourself off from the news and enjoy the moment.”
STREAM “END OF WORLD PARTY” — https://haelos.lnk.to/EndPartyVidPR
The follow up to 2016’s Full Circle, Any Random Kindness is an astoundingly textured record and a huge leap forward for HÆLOS’ band members Lotti Benardout, Arthur Delaney, Dom Goldsmith, and Daniel Vildósola. The shivering, gorgeous atmospheres conjured on Full Circle are more warm-blooded and varied than ever, the result of a new approach to live instrumentation the band took in-studio. It was recorded in a variety of locations—from Benardout’s basement and Delaney’s house to a studio in the English countryside, miles away from their city digs. Throughout, the album touches on themes ranging from the permanent destruction caused by climate change to the ephemeral emotions projected onto social media.
HÆLOS is in the midst of their pre-release tour. All dates are below.
Stream/Watch/Share: “Buried In The Sand” Video – https://Haelos.lnk.to/BITSVidPR “Kyoto” Video – https://Haelos.lnk.to/KyotoVideoPR “Boy / Girl” – https://youtu.be/aFOhIKJf4GM
Pre-order Any Random Kindness – https://haelos.lnk.to/BITSVidPR
HÆLOS Tour Dates: Thu. May 9 – Sat. May 11 – Brighton, UK @ The Great Escape Thu. May 16 – London, UK @ EartH (Hackney Arts Centre) Fri. June 7 – Sat. June 8 – London, UK @ Field Day
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I, for one, am glad that electro and synthwave is making such a nice comeback. It might be due to the fact that I’m a Generation X kid who grew up on new wave synth music and experimental music ruling 1980’s cinema and the FM pop airwaves. I don’t know if Delicate Steve is a fellow Gen X’er, but he certainly loves the music from that era and displays that affection on his latest album – Till I Burn Up.
Opening with heavy synth bass and stuttering processed beats on “Way Too Long,” Till I Burn Up gets off to a great start by sounding like a robotic funk band doing a weird interpretation of Pink Floyd records. “Freedom,” like the track before it, revels in snap-crackle-pop guitar riffs and percussion. “Selfie of a Man” has a great title and a swaggering android sound that pokes fun of how social technology causes us to prevent more false versions of ourselves to the world at large.
The title track is full of crunchy guitar riffs with cool synth stabs behind them. “Purple Boy” is a short instrumental lead-in to the ethereal “Ghost” before the futuristic hit man theme of “Rat in the House.” Seriously, it sounds like something off a cool VHS movie you forgot existed. “Rubberneck” sounds like it’s from a scene in that movie in which the sexy bounty hunter that looks like a living Patrick Nagel painting walks into a smoky nightclub full of neon where they serve glow-in-the-dark drinks.
“We Ride on Black Wings” brings in soaring synths perfect for the song’s subject matter (death, and not being afraid of it). The short “Vacant Disco” is also aptly titled. The underlying quiet menace of the synths on “Madness” reveals some of Delicate Steve’s love for Gary Numan records, I think, and I love how his guitar sounds like it’s filtered through a Transformer’s vocal chords. The album fades out with “Dream,” a lovely track that reminds me of some of John Carpenter‘s quieter themes.
Synthwave is back, my friends, and thank heavens for folks like Delicate Steve for dusting off the old keyboards and sequencers to help it return.
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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
So far, the winner of Most Intriguing Album Cover of 2019 goes to Ladytron (Mira Aroyo, Daniel Hunt, Helen Marnie, Reuben Wu) for their new, self-titled album. A young couple runs from a luxury car left abandoned on a road toward a raging forest fire. They are willingly, gleefully running toward chaos, fury, and death. If that doesn’t sum up the cultural zeitgeists for many people in the U.S. and the U.K., I don’t know what does.
Ladytron’s new album is their first new material in seven years. They’ve seen the change in the world’s political atmosphere, the further embrace of technology that is advertised as a communication tool but only drives us into our own literal and metaphorical cocoons, the Brexit vote, the 2016 U.S. presidential election, mass shootings, bombings, hurricanes, civil wars, genocides, and more things that keep us awake at night. They’ve responded with an album of searing electro and haunting hooks.
Opening with “Until the Fire,” the vintage synths and slightly spooky double vocals us Ladytron fans love immediately swirl around you as Helen Marnie and Mira Aroyo sing about the power and danger of desire. “The Island” is a lush synthwave track that has bright chords that hide a bit of menace (i.e., The last line of the song is “We are savages.”).
“I only came here for the view,” they sing to begin “Tower of Glass” – a song about not throwing stones, physical and verbal, at others. “Far from Home” sounds like “classic” Ladytron, if that’s even a proper term. The synths on it sound like they were dug out of Giorgio Moroder’s basement. “Paper Highways” brings out their love of krautrock, not to mention industrial goth.
“The Animals” is a haunting but toe-tapping song about war, racism, and the insanity of it all. “We are more like you than the ones than the ones that you view,” they sing. “Run” has processed beats that would make John Carpenter jealous and mysterious lyrics like, “Stop looking at me with a gun in your hand.” “Deadzone” has sharp-as-a-knife beats and even deadlier synth stabs and chords throughout it.
“Figurine” moves with an urgency that gets you moving right away and builds to a great rush. The synth bass on “You’ve Changed” is outstanding. I’m willing to bet the title refers to not only a particular person, but also the general public who seem to have lost their collective mind (i.e., “You’ve changed. What were you thinking?”). This song has probably been remixed by dozens of synthwave DJ’s by now to tear up dance floors, as it should.
“Horrorscope” is plain enough to understand. Again, just look at the album cover. The future is full of bad things if we don’t turn around now (“…across the hemispheres, and now it’s always near.”). “The Mountain” builds from a far echo to a state of soaring psychedelic synth bliss. “Tomorrow Is Another Day” is almost relaxing chillwave and would fit on a make-out playlist as long as you want a bit of intrigue while you’re getting your groove on with someone.
It’s a nice return for Ladytron. Synthwave is making a big comeback, and it’s good to see Ladytron taking the reins and shaking us out of our 24-hour news cycle-induced funk.
HÆLOS will release their sophomore effort, Any Random Kindness, on May 10th via Infectious. Any Random Kindness examines the search for connection in an increasingly fractured world. It’s the follow up to 2016’s intricately-layered, trip hop-influenced Full Circle, a debut album “that both cements them in a genre and leaves them room to grow” (Pitchfork). In conjunction with today’s album announcement, HÆLOS share a new song, “Kyoto,” and an accompanying video.
The first full album cycle for HÆLOS was a baptism of fire, and the year-long creation of Any Random Kindness pushed HÆLOS to the edge and back again. On winding up the Full Circle tour in January 2017, the trio — Lotti Benardout, Arthur Delaney, and Dom Goldsmith — returned to London and immediately installed touring guitarist Daniel Vildósola as a full-time member of the band. His classical background and technical prowess brought a new level of musicality and equilibrium to the band.
For Any Random Kindness, HÆLOS reassessed their creative approach, conducting songwriting experiments – writing a song an hour or finishing a track and then stripping it down and completely re-doing it. Delaney returned to writing on acoustic guitar, while Goldsmith retreated into his love of dance music and the minimal techno of Ricardo Villalobos. The band recorded the album with producer Orlando Leopard at Baltic Studios in East London and at their home studio, and it was mixed by Matt Wiggins (Glass Animals) and Marta Salongi (The xx, Bjork). The latter part of the recording was especially tense, with many near breakups. However, this process led to a new, optimistic perception of each other, and music that explored the push and pull of relationships. A new, increasingly dance-floor oriented direction to their sound emerged.
Throughout Any Random Kindess, HÆLOS refer to different facets that affect the modern world – the isolating nature of technology and social media, the looming climate change, their relationships with each other, and corrupt politics, as heard on “Kyoto,” a glitchy, yet catchy slice of electronica that critiques politicians who prioritize economics above the environment.
Any Random Kindness shows a newly developed HÆLOS, one that’s eager to push forward. Catch them live throughout North America this spring.
Watch “Kyoto” Video – https://Haelos.lnk.to/KyotoVideoPR
Stream “Kyoto” – https://Haelos.lnk.to/KyotoPR
Pre-orderAny Random Kindness – https://Haelos.lnk.to/AnyRandomPR
Watch HÆLOS’ “Buried In The Sand” Video – https://Haelos.lnk.to/BITSVidPR
Any Random KindnessTracklist: 1. Another Universe 2. Buried in the Sand 3. End of World Party 4. Kyoto 5. ARK 6. Boy Girl 7. Deep State 8. Empty Skies 9. Happy Sad 10. So Long, Goodbye 11. Last One Out (Turn the Lights Off)
HÆLOS Tour Dates: Thurs. Feb. 21 – Berlin, DE @ Badehaus Fri. Feb. 22 – Brussels, BE @ The Rotonde at Botanique Sat. Feb. 23 – Amsterdam, NL @ Bitterzoet Tue. March 12 – Sat. March 16 – Austin, TX @ SXSW Sat. March 16 – Sun. March 17 – Mexico City, MX @ Vive Latino Tue. March 19 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom Wed. March 20 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent Fri. March 22 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge Sat. March 23 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile Sun. March 24 – Vancouver, BC @ Wise Hall Wed. March 27 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Thurs. March 28 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall Fri. March 29 – Columbus, OH @ A&R Music Bar Sat. March 30 – Toronto, ON @ The Garrison Mon. April 1 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz PDB Tue. April 2 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall Fri. April 5 – New York, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg Sat. April 6 – Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall Thu. May 16 – London, UK @ EartH (Hackney Arts Centre) Fri. June 7 – Sat. June 8 – London, UK @ Field Day
