Fire Island Pines - “1915”
New! Comes out April 29th, 2013 available from Manic Pop! Records in the US and direct from the band in the UK.
Zach Thorpe - “Collect Demo”
Thanks to Derek Piotr for passing on this track, which also has vocals sampled from “Deliver” by Piotr. Difficult to categorize - alternates between having an earthy feeling (grinding, quick glitch) and airy (clear vocals and synth strings). Looking forward to hearing more from Thorpe.
Luxury Elite - “Midnight”
It’s been a good long while since I discovered a new and incredible artist through Last.fm recommendations. Today, while checking out the page of Neurotic Wreck (review of his recent mixtape available here), I saw an unfamiliar name in the similar artists list: Luxury Elite, who is not actually sonically similar oddly enough, but still great. I dove right into new classics. Tagged promisingly with “weather channel”, the lo-fi, TV-in-the-distance quality of the tracks combined with kitchy soothingness struck me as the audio equivalent to the new aesthetic. Luxury Elite is gearing up for a new release with AMDISCS, which this track is from. Recommended if you like synth, James Ferraro, Fatima Al Qadiri, and Gatekeeper. Check out their Bandcamp and Soundcloud for more.
Derek Piotr - “Grave” (from Raj)
A pretty boy shrouded in glitched out effects freaks you out and/or charms you through his entrancing sonic waves. *♥* Raj comes out February 2013.
Derek Piotr: Official Site | Bandcamp | Twitter
John Carpenter - “The Keeper” (Cloudland EP)
John Carpenter has been featured on A Future in Noise since 2008, one of the earliest independent music features on the website (and an artist that has remained one of my favorites). I have been excited to see what new direction his music would take. With Cloudland EP, there is something quite wonderful going on - a gritty, post-punkesque feeling, a bit of western and folksy ruggedness around the edges. A powerful demonstration of his sound can be found on “The Keeper”.
At only $5 on Bandcamp, you have no reason to not pick this up if you’re into the likes of Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave, and Jim Morrison. Yes, I know that comparisons or inspiration points for those fellows is usually a red flag for amateurish noodling from other indie artists, but I will tell you that here, the mention is warranted. John Carpenter’s style is not derivative but rather continuing on an elegant, spooky tradition of creating a storytelling environment within a dark soundscape.
Company B - “Fascinated”
A Future in Noise - Marilyn Roxie’s Favorite Albums of 2012
Presented in no particular order. This list excludes releases from my Vulpiano Records netlabel. Links go to the Spotify or Bandcamp stream of the album. 2012 was a bit of a strange year for music. More than ever, I felt like I really had to trawl through blogs and artist pages to unearth great stuff (and of course, luckily received a few particularly dazzling music submissions). Good year for electronic instrumentation and a broad acceptance of synth throughout music, to be sure.
Isengrind - Night of Raining Fire
Prince Rama - Top Ten Hits of the End of the World
Lately Kind of Yeah - Derzyklus
Sam Rosenthal - The Return
A delightful track from Tanzmusik, a minimal synth release from Sam Rosenthal (Black Tape for a Blue Girl) that I was wholly unaware of until Rosenthal shot me an e-mail recently about their new (erotic and genderqueer!) novel Rye. Tanzmusik, originally released in 1985 and newly re-issued this year, should be viewed as a classic of the genre - icy cold electronics with far more thematic variation than many others of its kind.
Download or stream Sam Rosenthal - Tanzmusik on Bandcamp or buy the limited edition vinyl from Projekt.
Mannequin is proud to announce the reissue of one of the top minimal synth Graals out of there. “Tanzmusik” is the first LP from Sam Rosenthal, boss of the hystorical Projekt Records label and mind of one of the most influential dark wave acts coming out from the US, Black Tape For A Blue Girl. Originally released in March 1985, the vinyl release was limited to 250 copies, with a tanish card glued to a white LP jacket.
The album continues in the “electronic mood-music” tradition established by Sam on the PROJEKT ELECTRONIC AMERIKA cassettes, with the added intriques of the drum-computer, exploring the realms of electronic music that the critics have compared to Tangerine Dream, O.M.D. and Brian Eno.
Sam Rosenthal is an American artist. He is the founder and leader of the band Black Tape For a Blue Girl and the record label Projekt Records (30th anniversary in 2013). He lives in Brooklyn with his son and cat. Black Tape for a Blue Girl, begin in 1986 after his move from Florida to California, serves as a vehicle for Rosenthal’s musical vision. Its signature combination of gothic, ethereal, ambient and neo-classical elements has explored existential themes of loves lost and passions yet to come. After his early electronic work represented on Tanzmusik, his music has grown into a full-fledged band, whose members revolve around Rosenthal’s subtle electronic foundation.
Virgin Blood - “Cupidity”
Lovely little track from a strange little album. Lo-fi fuzz and faraway vocals contrast with sharp, plodding synths, creating a daydreamy atmosphere.
Neurotic Wreck - “Destroy (She Said)” from Leave Tonight - Mixtape Side 2
Every once and awhile an artist submission comes along that makes it clear that they are on a similar wavelength about what AFIN is into and about. My inbox is currently overflowing with submissions and it is moments like opening up Dan Wreck’s submission that remind me why I’m running a music blog to begin with: I want to hear music that goes beyond the average.
Described as being “recommended for fans of Dennis Cooper, Xiu Xiu, Fleetwood Mac, The Xx, Death In June when they wanted to be Joy Division, New Order and basically anything gloomy and slightly odd,” I was quite impressed with the eclectic nature of the music: “mixtape” is indeed the right word for this, with a variety of sounds and vocal stylings. The track I’ve chosen to highlight is the one that jumped out at me, an industrially tinged synth number, but the mixtape offers so much more, from somber piano tune “January” to glitchy-pop “Keep This Together”…I am intensely curious to see what future direction Neurotic Wreck will take. For now, you can download Leave Tonight - Mixtape Side 2 on Bandcamp.
Branch Line Idols - “Rumbo”
Nice little glitch-hop track from Anton Rothschild’s newest project - a little spooky too (Ratatat anyone?). Always happy to hear his latest work.
Check out more Branch Line Idols tracks on Soundcloud.
Daniel Ouellette and the Shobijin - “I Want (That Superman Song” from The Enchantment (Songs to sing whilst you sharpen your pencil)
Very rarely do I receive music submissions that manage to combine weirdness and fun in a non-twee, non-forced fashion. Daniel Ouellette and the Shobijin aren’t “trying” to be weird - they just are, and, not only that, but it’s a cause for celebration. I last reviewed Daniel Ouellette back in 2009 with his Kaiju Carnival EP. Ouelette and his band have continued on with an art pop eccentricity that is lovable rather than pretentious, as such a style has been long associated with. It’s a bit like what the result would be if Klaus Nomi and the Residents could be sonically blended up. Loved it!
—-
Black Marble - Static
Dendrite - “Zenith”
Dendrite is an artist from Danbury, United States out with new release Time Immemorial on Bitsquare. As well as fellow Bitsquare companion Derek Piotr, Dendrite’s work consists of intricate sound collage and exquisite use of minimal space. Manipulation of voice, or transformation of voice into something else altogether, accompanies field recording material throughout. It is incredible how powerfully this work evokes a sense of paranoia, lostness, and isolation with the skillful grasp of loudness and softness and the overall acute awareness of sonic subtleties that Dendrite displays here. Highly recommended for those who enjoy minimal works and music as a form of abstract art.
Most Wanted Computer Viruses (1991) ▰ Advertisement for Central Point Anti-Virus, PC Magazine...
sell out
