s t a r g a z e and Greg Saunier’s Deerhoof Chamber Variations EP out today

04 December 2015

s t a r g a z e - Data

Today sees the release of Deerhoof Chamber Variations, the joint EP from Berlin’s instrumental collective s t a r g a z e and Deerhoof’s drummer and composer Greg Saunier. Conceived as a continuous piece of instrumental music, the material was originally written for Deerhoof, and this collaboration saw Saunier arrange and recompose these 9 1/2 song for a classical chamber ensemble. He used “exactly the same notes as in the originals while rearranging the songs structurally, in a kind of miniaturizing and abstracting way”, explains the press release, adding that “s t a r g a z e adapted this new composition to their particular line-up and the musicians’ personal skills”.

Here’s a fantastic taste from the EP, ‘Data’. It comes with a video directed by Robin Coops. Watch it below and grab the EP through Transgressive Records.

Martin Creed drops free AA single ‘Let Them In’ and ‘Border Control’

01 December 2015

Martin Creed - Let Them In Border ControlAddressing the inadequate response to the current refugee crisis, Turner Prize-winning artist and musician Martin Creed has released a free AA single. Featuring ‘Let Them In’ and ‘Border Control’, both come with accompanying videos and are described as “gloriously succinct yet potent bursts of buoyant, ramshackle pop, albeit underlaid this time around with an urgent call to arms”. Check them out below and download them here.


Tricky unveils new project Skilled Mechanics, announces debut album

25 November 2015

Skilled Mechanics: DJ Milo, Tricky & Luke HarrisSince relocating to Berlin earlier this year, trip-hop pioneer Tricky has been busy with a new project called Skilled Mechanics. It sees him working with a different cast of contributors from project to project, and on the first one, Tricky joined forces with longtime friend and collaborator DJ Milo and his tour drummer Luke Harris. The fruit of this collaboration arrives early next year in the form of a self-titled full-length album.
The album also features guest contributions from Chinese rapper Ivy 艾菲, London based singer Renata Platon, Danish singer songwriter Oh Land, and his current vocalist Francesca Belmonte.

‘Diving Away’, a cover  of ‘Porpoise Head’ by Porno For Pyros, is the first single taken from the album. Here’s what Tricky said about it:

“I toured with them in Australia in 1996. My daughter Mazy, who was about four years of age, was with us and she had frontman Perry Farrell wrapped round her little finger. He took all of us to Sealand in Australia. So there was me and Porno For Pyros all trying to get her pram onto the Australian metro. But how many big artists would do something beautiful like that? I think it speaks volumes about him. So I’ve got a lot of love for Perry Farrell and I’ve always wanted to cover one of his songs.”

Now listen to ‘Diving Away’.

Skilled Mechanics is out on January 22nd via Tricky’s own label False Idols.

Ulver tease upcoming album ATGCLVLSSCAP with excerpt from two new tracks

24 November 2015

Ulver - ATGCLVLSSCAPNorway’s Ulver have a new album on the way called ATGCLVLSSCAP, partly live and mostly improvisational and due on January 22nd via their own newly-formed House of Mythology. With the number twelve as the kernel of the album, ATGCLVLSSCAP comprises recordings made at twelve different live shows performed in February 2014 and it also takes its name from the initials of the twelve zodiac signs, starting with Aries. “The tour was to be an experiment, kind of loose and scary for a band as ‘set in their ways’ as us”, said Ulver’s mastermind Kristoffer Rygg.

To get us enticed ahead of its release, Ulver have shared a couple of excerpts from new tracks ‘Cromagnosis’ and ‘Moody Stix’. Listen to both below.

Tim Gane’s new trio Cavern Of Anti-Matter set to release debut album in February

20 November 2015

Cavern Of Anti-Matter - void beats invocation trex

Tim Gane, known as the co-founder of revered band Stereolab, has embarked on a new project called Cavern Of Anti-Matter and we’re thrilled about it. To bring the project to life, Gane teamed up with former Stereolab drummer Joe Dillworth and synth master Holger Zapf.  With a few limited edition vinyl releases under their belt, their proper full-length debut album, void beats / invocation trex, has just been announced. It arrives on February 19th via Duophonic and it also features guest contributions from Mouse On Mars’ Jan St. Werner, Deerhunter’s Bradford Cox and Spaceman 3’s Sonic Boom.

Here’s what Gane said of the project:

“Cavern Of Anti-Matter are spectrum addicts, setting up tiny rhythmic cells and expanding on them in certain ways, splitting the melody and stretching out. The melodic movement is much slower due to the lack of words. At the moment, the Cavern sound is more what I want to do.”

The stunning single ‘Melody In High Feedback Tones’ serves as the first taster of what’s coming and we can’t wait to hear more.