Last month we heard the epic 12-minute first single ‘Electric’ from Föllakzoid‘s upcoming album III. The effort arrives on March 31st via Sacred Bones Records. Now the Chilean psych rockers are offering a visual accompaniment for the single, co-directed by the outfit’s own Domingo Garcia-Huidobro alongside Ion Rakhmatulina. Here it is.
We’ve had our ears tuned to Brooklyn’s tremendous trio Dawn of Midi for a while. Their magnificent and addictive debut album, Dysnomia, originally released in 2013 via Thirsty Ear, had only seen a US release. So we’re very pleased to know that Dysnomia got the attention of Erased Tapes who are re-releasing the album worldwide. Slated for a June 1st release, Dysnomia will be available in vinyl, CD and digital formats, including a limited edition clear double 12″ vinyl.
Speaking about the upcoming reissue, double bassist Aakaash Israni said that “since the album never saw a proper international release, it is very exciting to see what might happen when more people are exposed to it. And to be aligned with Erased Tapes, whose enthusiasm for the music they release has done a lot for exposing unique instrumental and electronic music, makes it that much more interesting.”. About the album, Israni said they “wanted to make a record that sounded both musically futuristic and sonically vintage”. Pianist Amino Belyamani added that they “didn’t want to create anything cerebral, we wanted something visceral, something that would awaken our instinctive dance impulses.”.
Dawn of Midi are also heading to Europe in April and May for a month-long tour supporting label mate Nils Frahm.
To get you further enticed, wrap your ears around ‘Nix’, a beautiful and hypnotic cut lifted from Dysnomia.
We’re only a few days away from the release of Kaki King‘s new album, The Neck Is A Bridge To The Body. As we had previously mentioned, the album comes paired with a high-tech projection mapping show, which King has been performing throughout North America.
The guitar virtuoso had already teased the album with a live video of her performing ‘Battle is a Learning’. Now she’s offering another taste from The Neck Is A Bridge To The Body, in the form of a stunning and kaleidoscopic video for the song ‘Anthropomorph’. The video was conceived collaboratively with visual artist Shantell Martin, with both artists inspiring each other. “Music really helps give my lines and words life, and brings a natural spring to them,” said Martin. “Listening and creating live to Kaki’s piece was almost like meditating: becoming lost in the song; so full and present.” Similarly, King describes Shantell improvising to a solo guitar demo of the track. “But when I saw what she had created, I heard percussion, horns, finger snapping, and organs. So I added those instruments to the final audio track. It was a beautiful back and forth.”
Watch the video for ‘Anthropomorph’ below and watch out for the release of The Neck Is A Bridge To The Body this Tuesday March 3th via Short Stuff Records.
Having just signed to Thrill Jockey, French multi-instrumentalist and composer Cecile Schott, better known as Colleen, has announced a new album. Entitled Captain of None, the effort was recorded, mixed, and produced entirely by Schott in San Sebastian, Spain. The label describes it as “the most melodic album in her repertoire, with fast-paced tracks rooted down by prominent bass lines and assorted percussive effects”. Exploring new production techniques, “Schott tried to open the gates in the way she played, sang, and wrote lyrics for the album, and set out to explore how effects like delay and echo could go from the “cosmetic sound varnish” role they usually play to a fully dynamic, constructive, song-shaping role.”
Captain of None arrives on April 7th. Ahead of it, we can already hear the marvellous and enveloping title track.
Tyondai Braxton‘s debut album, Central Market, came out six long years ago to widespread acclaim. The prodigious composer and musician may not have released any effort since then but he’s been busy composing solo and collaboratively. Other than performing Central Market with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, London Sinfonietta, BBC Symphony Orchestra, and New York’s Wordless Music Orchestra, Braxton has also composed commissioned pieces for ensembles like The Bang on a Can All Stars, Kronos Quartet, Alarm Will Sound, and Brooklyn Rider.
Following an invitation from New York’s Guggenheim Museum, and after leaving Battles in 2010, Braxton focused on HIVE, a live multimedia performance that was part architectural installation and part ensemble performance. Premiered in 2013, HIVE featured five musicians, each performing atop an space-age oval pods designed by Danish architect Uffe Surland Van Tams. HIVE has evolved into an album, HIVE1, featuring eight pieces composed originally for the live performance. HIVE1 will be out on May 12th via Nonesuch.
Braxton is giving us a tantalizing taste of it, with the quirky first single, ‘Scout1’.
Rejoice, for Godspeed You! Black Emperor are back. The Montreal post-rock collective released their widely acclaimed and Polaris Prize-winning album Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! in 2012, after a long 10-year hiatus. Luckily, we don’t have to wait that long as the band have just announced their sixth full-length album, Asunder, Sweet And Other Distress. Described as “arguably the most focused and best-sounding recording of the band’s career”, the new album was in the works for the last couple of years, which the help of sound engineer Greg Norman. According to the album’s blurb, “Asunder, Sweet And Other Distress finds Godspeed in top form; a sterling celebration of the band’s awesome dialectic, where composition, emotion and ‘note-choice’ is inextricable from an exacting focus on tone, timbre, resonance and the sheer materiality of sound.”
An excerpt of the monumental album’s opener, ‘Peasantry or ‘Light! Inside of Light!’ is now streaming. Listen to it below and grab the album when it drops on March 31st via Constellation.
In other related good news, Godspeed You! Black Emperor are heading back to Europe for a month long tour in April, kicking off in Hamburg on 7th, and also including a London show on 20th at the Shepherds Bush Empire. Check all their dates and other info here.
