Category: Electro

Thom Yorke’s “Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes” solo tour starts November 23rd.

 

Radiohead front man Thom Yorke has announced a bunch of U.S. tour dates this fall to promote and play his solo material.  Joining him will be producer (and frequent Radiohead collaborator) Nigel Godrich and visual artist Tarik Barri. Oliver Coates, a London-based cellist, will be the opening act.

The dates are as follows:

November 2018
23rd  Electric Factory – Philadelphia, PA
24th  Wang Theatre-Boch Center – Boston, MA
26th  Kings Theatre – Brooklyn, NY
27th  Kings Theatre – Brooklyn, NY
30th  John F Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts Concert Hall – Washington, DC

December 2018
1st  Keybank State Theatre – Cleveland, OH
2nd  Masonic Temple Cathedral Theatre – Detroit, MI
4th  Chicago Theatre – Chicago, IL
5th  Riverside Theater – Milwaukee, WI
6th  Northrop at the University of Minnesota – Minneapolis, MN
8th  Stifel Theatre – St. Louis, MO
9th  Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland – Kansas City, MO
11th  Paramount Theatre – Denver, CO
13th  The Union – Salt Lake City, UT
15th  Bill Graham Civic Auditorium – San Francisco, CA
17th  The Observatory, North Park – San Diego, CA
19th  Orpheum Theatre – Los Angeles, CA
20th  Orpheum Theatre – Los Angeles, CA
22nd  The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas – Las Vegas, NV

Tickets will surely sell out for most, if not all, of these shows.  Don’t wait too long to score some.

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Luaka Bop to reissue rare Preacherman album on October 12th.

Luaka Bop Announces Preacherman Reissue, Universal Philosophy: Preacherman Plays T.J. Hustler’s Greatest Hits, Out October 12th

Listen To “Feel It”
Tim Jones is known by several different monikers; Preacherman, Midi Man and Ironing Board Band to name a few. Though perhaps his most notable is the one that describes him best, T.J. Hustler. In 1979 as T.J. Hustler, Jones self-released one extremely rare LP, Age Of Individualism. In the years since, he’s released two even rarer CD’s as Preacherman, of which the tracks on this forthcoming reissue, Universal Philosophy: Preacherman plays T.J. Hustler’s Greatest Hits (out October 12th on Luaka Bop), are taken.
Stream Preacherman’s “Feel It” — 
https://youtu.be/35waZLUTbU0Watch Universal Philosophy Teaser Video — 
https://youtu.be/S4xHRkwlWUY

In the 1980’s Jones was a technician for IBM in both Las Vegas and San Jose where he repaired Selectric Typewriters and word processors during the day. At night he world perform in the Las Vegas lounges. Thoroughly fascinated by technology and also an engineer in his own right, Jones adapted a Hammond B3 organ to play a Moog synth with some of the organ’s keys (some still played the organ) and also adapted the organ’s foot controlled bass levers to play two Moog synth bass pedals (a failed item Moog made for a few years). Thinking he wasn’t much of a live performer, he had a custom wooden puppet made named T.J. Hustler. Together, Tim Jones/Preacherman and T.J. Hustler would perform long philosophical soliloquies.These days Jones, (“pronounced JOANZ”, says Tim), is CEO and founder of Up Productions and lives with his 103 year-old mother — the eldest living person in Oakland — in a stunning apartment overlooking Lake Merritt. With his Casio CTK-7200 keyboard, equipped with five wireless mics, a P.A., Jones performs karaoke, easily matching whatever song request you might have. Unfortunately, T.J. Hustler (the puppet) live in a storage unit in Las Vegas, Nevada, along with the modified organ.

(Photo credit: Eric Welles-Nystrom)

Perhaps even more so than his first album, Universal Philosophy grants listeners access, virtually for the very first time, to Jones’ outlook, his purpose, and the way he lives and experiences life on this planet. The music presented here is otherworldly, homespun, folk art funk; concise and stream-of-consciousness simultaneously.

Universal Philosophy will be released on vinyl (with gatefold jacket), CD and digital.

Universal Philosophy: Preacherman Plays T.J. Hustler’s Greatest Hits Tracklist:
01. That’s Good
02. Feel It
03. Tell Me Why
04. Out Of This World
05. Age Of Individualism
06. Up And Down
07. The Wrong Way (CD Version Only)

 

Pre-order Universal Philosophy: Preacherman Plays T.J. Hustler’s Greatest Hits — 
https://luakabop.lnk.to/PreachermanDownload album art & hi-res images of Preacherman — 
http://pitchperfectpr.com/preacherman/

(Universal Philosophy: Preacherman Plays T.J. Hustler’s Greatest Hits album art by Kevin Harris)
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Lindstrom’s new single, “Blinded by the LEDs,” is one of the best electro tracks of 2018 so far.

Lindstrøm Presents New Single, “Blinded By The LEDs,”
To Celebrate Oslo’s Henie Onstad Kunstsenter’s 50th Anniversary

Listen HERE

 
(above image by Lin Stensrud)
Norwegian electronic producer, Lindstrøm, presents new single “Blinded By The LEDs,” a commissioned work to preview his forthcoming performances later this month celebrating the 50th anniversary of Henie Onstad Kunstsenter, Oslo’s famous futuristic waterside modern art center gallery and live venue. The sold out performances happening August 23rd, 25th & 26th take place exactly 50 years after the legendary Norwegian contemporary composer Arne Nordheim performed “Solitaire,” an electro-acoustic contemporary composition, on opening night in 1968. For these performances, Lindstrøm will do an entirely analogue performance of 10+ songs live on more than 20 analogue synthesizers and drum machines with visuals.

Out today via Smalltown Supersound, “Blinded By The LEDs” is a reference to both Bruce Springsteen and Manfred Mann’s Earth Band. And rather than riff on Nordheim’s musique concréte, Lindstrøm has woven his own signature tapestry of influences and inspirations into the song, including Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill,” ESG’s “Moody,” Queen’s “Back Chat,” Liquid Liquid’s “Cavern,” Sheryl Lee Ralph’s “In The Evening,” John Carpenter’s “Assault On Precinct 13,” and Lindstrøm’s own “Fast & Delirious.”
Listen to Lindstrøm’s “Blinded By The LEDs” –
https://youtu.be/xQNm7dzLJEE

Download hi-res press images of Lindstrøm and album art –
http://pitchperfectpr.com/lindstrom/

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Steve Hauschildt – Dissolvi

Chicago resident and electronic minimalist musician Steve Hauschildt experiments with introspection on his new record, Dissolvi.  Reducing the self leads to viewing the world as it is and not as you wish it to be (the first step in the Eightfold Path).  Through this record, Hauschildt tries to do just that and encourages us to do the same.

The title of the opening track, “M Path,” is a play on “empathy” – someone who can sense emotional states.  It’s bubbly and curious, perhaps as it might be if one could instinctively tap into another’s emotions.  Hauschildt’s synths float around you like jellyfish throughout the track.  “Phantox” dials down the curiosity to meditative introspection.  The quiet dance floor bass thumps are even restrained as they remind you of an excited pulse.  “Saccade” is restful yet seductive, especially with Julianna Barwick‘s guest vocals that snuggle up to you like a cat.

The seven-minute “Alienself” lands in the middle of the record and is an interesting view on Hauschildt’s vision of himself.  Don’t we all feel alien at some point(s) in our lives?  We feel like we don’t belong or are witnessing things so bizarre that they are hard to fathom.  This can happen every day if you watch the news.  Thankfully, Hauschildt takes the right approach by embracing this alien within and looking at the world with outsider’s eyes.  The song floats along with the same curiosity found on “M Path,” but with a bit of a more playful sound with popping bass and toned down dance synths.

“Aroid” is the soundtrack of replicant dreams, or the ambient music playing on the ship taking you to the off-world colonies.  Dance beats take front stage on “Syncope,” and I think it’s impossible to sit still during the song.  Not that it’s a floor-filler or a club banger.  It’s subtle dance music.  That’s probably the best way I can describe it.  “Lyngr” is another excellent “subtle dance” track, but with faster beats and synths that pop all around you.  The bass on the title track is so fuzzed out that it sounds like the footsteps of an electric giant.

It’s a lovely record, and certainly one of the most upbeat ambient albums of the year (and who even knew there were such things).  It will help you dissolve out of whatever doldrums you’re experiencing at the moment and at least bring you into the present long enough to change your outlook.

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Rewind Review: Ladytron – Live at London Astoria 16.07.08 (2009)

If you’re like me and eager to hear Ladytron‘s upcoming album and catch them on tour for it, their 2009 release of Live at London Astoria 16.07.08 is a great morsel to tide you over until the new record’s release and subsequent tour.  The show was a rescheduled gig for one that had to be cancelled a couple months earlier due to a power outage.  The band’s urge to make amends with fans can be felt throughout the power of the entire set.

The live album starts off with a robotic version of “Black Cat” with lead vocals in Russian.  “Runaway” follows, bringing dark wave-like bass and great echoed vocals.  The guitars and droning synths on “High Rise” might induce vertigo if you’re not careful while listening to it.  “Ghosts” has some of my favorite Ladytron lyrics, “There’s a ghost in me who wants to say, ‘I’m sorry doesn’t mean I’m sorry.'”  It’s a spooky song about relationships, quite possibly involving at least one lover who is dead.

“Seventeen” is one of my favorite Ladytron cuts, and it’s one of the most damning songs about the fashion industry ever (“They only want you when you’re seventeen.  When you’re twenty-one, you’re no fun.”).  The live version is thumping with synth bass.  “I’m Not Scared” hits hard with bright synths blending with rock drums.  “True Mathematics,” with more great Russian vocals, hits even harder.  I hope they play it on their next tour, because it’s outstanding.  “Season of Illusions” is a bit lighthearted, but don’t worry because “Soft Power” drops you right back into the dark with synths that sound like they’re being played in a tomb.  “Playgirl” was a big hit for the London crowd, judging from their reaction when Ladytron announces it’s the next track.

“International Dateline” is practically a goth love song, and “Predict the Day” surprises you by starting with whistling and then unloading sticky synth bass and sexy beats.  “Fighting in Built Up Areas” is another Russian vocal treat, and “Discotraxx” would do Giorgio Moroder proud with its slick electro dance beats.  They dedicate “The Last One Standing” to everyone who was at the show that was cancelled months earlier.

They chose “Kletva,” “Burning Up,” and “Destroy Everything You Touch” for their encore.  It’s a nice end to a fun show.  They originally just release 100 copies of it at the show, so I’m glad they put it out for wide release.  You should be, too.

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Wild Nothing’s groovy new single, “Partners in Motion,” is a sweet track for the summer.

Wild Nothing Presents “Partners In Motion,”
New Single Off Indigo, Out August 31st On Captured Tracks

Listen HERE

photo credit – Cara Robbins
 “a project that has virtually perfected the art of writing about romance”
– Vulture, Summer Music Preview

“an intoxicating, pristine cut of melancholy pop”
– The A.V. Club, 2018’s Second Half Preview

“A retro sensibility is nothing new for Tatum, but the urge sounds more fleshed out on
[‘Letting Go’], more bright and ambitious. . . The effort to stay true to his digital
creations shines through in the tight, sparkly rendering.” — Stereogum

“[‘Letting Go’]s chiming guitar and Tatum’s sweet falsetto in the chorus bring you to a pastel-painted room where there’s a slow-motion pillow fight going on.” — Paste

“On ‘Letting Go,’ Jack Tatum’s Wild Nothing project is working in familiar dreamy and nostalgic territory, though this is a little more frenetic and muscular than usual. By the time the bridge hits, though, Wild Nothing shows a willingness to experiment and wade into uncomfortable waters. It’s enough to pique interest into what’s to come.” – Uproxx

Wild Nothing, the project of Los Angeles-based Jack Tatum, will release his fourth album, Indigo, on August 31st via Captured Tracks. He’ll tour North America for a month beginning mid-October with newly announced support, Men I Trust. After presenting the chiming guitar and sweeping synths of lead single, “Letting Go,” Wild Nothing now shares the ’80s-heavy “Partners In Motion” featuring saxophonist Taylor Plenn. As discussed with FADER, it’s a song he’s been inching towards for years.

Recorded at LA’s Sunset Sound and produced by Tatum and Jorge Elbrecht, Indigo is its own cyborg world, utilizing the artful mechanisms of human touch with the precision of technology to create the classic, pristine sound Tatum has been seeking his entire career. After a decade of making music as Wild Nothing, Indigo finds Tatum at his most efficient, calculated, and confident. It’s both a return to the fresh, transcendent sweep of his debut, 2010’s Gemini, and a culmination of heights reached, paths traveled, and lessons learned while creating the follow-ups, Nocturne and Life of Pause.

To make Indigo, Tatum confronted the Man vs. Machine dichotomy by seizing on the surrounding synergy. In his studio, he would write pieces of songs with whatever instruments and programs held his interest on any given day. He built a series of highly detailed demos, intending to record the final package swiftly with a live band in a studio and in a clear, bright, 1980’s-inspired fidelity. “I wanted it to sound like a classic studio record, as close as I could get it there. It just boils down to me wanting to fit into some larger narrative, musically, in terms of these artists I love,” says Tatum. “I think about how my music will age. Ideas of ‘timeless’ are going to be different—so if Indigo is not timeless then it’s at least ‘out of time.’”

Stream “Partners In Motion” –
https://youtu.be/6ksagHpqCKo

Stream “Letting Go” –
https://WildNothing.lnk.to/LettingGo

Pre-order Indigo –
https://WildNothing.lnk.to/Indigo

Wild Nothing Tour Dates:
(all shows with Men I Trust)
Tue. Oct. 16 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
Wed. Oct. 17 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
Thu. Oct. 18 – Birmingham, AL @ Saturn
Fri. Oct. 19 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
Sat. Oct. 20 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
Sun. Oct. 21 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk
Tue. Oct. 23 – Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf
Wed. Oct. 24 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
Thu. Oct. 25 – Santa Ana, CA @ Observatory
Fri. Oct. 26 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent Theater
Sat. Oct. 27 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
Tue. Oct. 30 – Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall
Wed. Oct. 31 – Vancouver, BC @ Imperial Vancouver
Thu. Nov. 1 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos
Fri. Nov. 2 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux
Sat. Nov. 3 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
Sun. Nov. 4 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
Tue. Nov. 6 – Omaha, NE @ The Slowdown
Wed. Nov. 7 – Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center
Thu. Nov. 8 – Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre
Fri. Nov. 9 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
Sat. Nov. 10 – Detroit, MI @ El Club
Mon. Nov. 12 – Toronto, ON @ Opera House
Tue. Nov. 13 – Montreal, QC @ Corona Theatre
Wed. Nov. 14 – Boston, MA @ Royale Nightclub
Fri. Nov. 16 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
Sat. Nov. 17 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
Sun. Nov. 18 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club

Download hi-res press images and cover art –
www.pitchperfectpr.com/wild-nothing/

Indigo cover art
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Pitchfork Music Festival artist spotlight: Zola Jesus

Singer, songwriter, and electro / goth musician Zola Jesus will be playing an early set on Saturday at Chicago’s Pitchfork Music Festival.  Her voice is something to behold, and her near-darkwave music will be jarring under the afternoon sun.  There is a chance of rain, however, and that would be perfect for her somber songs.  Don’t miss this one.

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Pitchfork Music Festival artist spotlight: Mount Kimbie

The British electro duo Mount Kimbie make neat music that combines synthetic beats with dream-pop vocals, guitar, and some live percussion.  They’re another band that’s new on my radar.  I love discovering new bands through festivals, and their performance at the Pitchfork Music Festival might be a nice surprise.

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Steve Hauschildt releases “Alienself” from album due this August.

STEVE HAUSCHILDT SHARES “ALIENSELF”
OFF UPCOMING ALBUM DISSOLVI

GHOSTLY INTERNATIONAL DEBUT OUT AUGUST 3

 
(photo credit: Maria Tzeka)

 

Today, electronic musician Steve Hauschildt shares “Alienself,” the second song off his new full-length and Ghostly International debut, Dissolvi (out August 3rd). “Alienself is a song that began in my live set and so I had the luxury of developing it gradually over the last two years,” says Hauschildt. “The final version features guitar by Rafael Irisarri in the first half of the track which then transitions into synthesized voices in the latter half. The song title refers to a psychoanalytical term which has to do with the development of a false aspect of the self and how mental states are not only envisioned in others but how they’re externalized or projected.”

The album’s title — a reference to cupio dissolvi, the Latin phrase meaning “I wish to be dissolved” — needn’t be taken one-­dimensionally or as purely solipsistic. Physiological phenomena are of interest to Hauschildt. These back­-of-­mind ruminations find their way out. Songs are cerebral in orientation, but beyond explanation, the music is truly visceral.

Late last month, Steve shared the first single off the record, the sublime “Saccade,” which featured vocals from Julianna Barwick. The album, which is his most collaborative work to date, also features a song with Gabrielle Herbst, aka GABI.  Watch visuals for “Alienself” and “Saccade” below (art by Robert Beatty).

LISTEN TO “ALIENSELF”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-7Y–KRHvQ&feature=youtu.be

LISTEN TO “SACCADE” (FEAT. JULIANNA BARWICK)
https://youtu.be/Tt7JiZutEDU
Pre-order Dissolvi:
Ghostly International — https://ghostly.com/products/dissolvi
Or at the retailer of your choice — https://Ghostly.lnk.to/steve-hauschildt-dissolvi

 

Download hi-res images & album art of Steve Hauschildt —
http://pitchperfectpr.com/steve-hauschildt/
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Bandcamp | Ghostly International

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Bjorn Torske releases neo-disco single – “Gata.”

BJØRN TORSKE SHARES NEW SINGLE “GATA”

BYEN OUT JULY 6TH VIA SMALLTOWN SUPERSOUND

Photo Credit – Einar Broch Johnsen
“[Clean Air’s] gently ascending chords send the song above the clouds,
but Torske’s slowly unfurling piano fills and electric keyboard solos cast a pensive air.
It speaks to Torske’s unmatched knack for making disco that’s not just body-moving
but thought-provoking: With ‘Clean Air’ the father of Norwegian nü-disco shoots
us up into a stratospheric headspace.” — Pitchfork
Next week sees the release of Bjørn Torske’s fifth solo album and first in eight years, Byen, out July 6th via Smalltown Supersound. Byen marks the 20-year anniversary of Torske’s solo career. Recorded over the past year at his home and studio in Bergen, Byen finds the veteran musician fusing two distinct sides of his catalog—clubby, inviting house music, and side-long pastoral ambience. It continues to show his flair for fusing indelible melody with propulsive rhythms.

After sharing lead single “Clean Air,” Torske presents “Gata,” a funky yet serene disco romp primed for the dancefloor. As described by Torske, “While Byen means ‘The City’ in Norwegian, ‘Gata’ means ‘The Street.’ This is where the youth of my early years in Tromsø had to spend their evenings since there was no place for them to go. But ‘gata’ is also a Rumanian word meaning ‘ready’ or ‘prepared,’ as in ‘let’s go,’ which to me fits just as well or even better than the title’s original meaning.”

Pre-order Byen –
http://smarturl.it/sts333-byen-bcamp

Download hi-res press images and Byen cover art –
http://pitchperfectpr.com/bjorn-torske/

Byen album art
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