Xiu, aka Oksana Rodionova, a minimal synth project based in Milan, Italy, will play in Brussels at the "Another Wave II" event on 19th October. Oksana was born in Estonia and studied academic music in Russia. Academic knowledge had a deep impact in the creative process of her musical entity. During several years she also sang in the church’s choir which is undoubtedly had influenced her work. Next to the writting of her first musical effort she contributing appearances for the Italian minimal-synth band Newclear Waves. She is familiar with underground musical scenes which emerged during the 80s, from sonic minimal synth experiments to cold wave and post-punk.
Xiu’s music is a synthesis between retro-pop and futurist synth waves. It delivers spacy looped electronica, groovy rhythms, linear lo-fi synth washes, softly dreamy pop melodies sometimes admitting dramatic tones and mysterious textural ambiences. The conceptual background deals with thematics related to dystopia, occult arts and mystic believes. Xiu is using only analogue equipment (Roland Juno 60, Roland SH101, Korg KR55 etc.). If you like Tropic of Cancer, Cocteau Twins, blablarism or Mushy, you will love Xiu.
In Brussels, Oksana Xiu will present in 'avant-première' the songs from her forthcoming album, which will be released next year by aufnahme+wiedergabe.
Supporting acts: Schonwald (Italy - cold-wave) and Néon Noir (Belgium - dark minimal wave).
Xiu on Soundcloud.
These are the newest offerings from Cyclic Law this month:
TAPHEPHOBIA "Escape From The Mundane Self" CD (61st Cycle)
Sixth release (and the first for Cyclic Law) of the Norwegian drone ambient project Taphephobia created by Ketil S (also of Mulm and ex-Northaunt.) As emphasized by its title, this record is intented to take one away from the mundane everyday world, it is not a concept album, rather an album where both the music and the titles are open for interpretation. The soudscapes lead to an inner experience where you can discover your own hidden voices and your own secret world of colours. An inner journey which stretches the imagination from terrifying seastorms to idyllic moments of wintery landscapes.
Edition of 500 copies in 4 panel Digi sleeve. 11 Tracks. Running Time 53:00
VORTEX "Kali Yuga" CD (60th Cycle)
3rd full lenght album from Germany's Vortex. "During a long trip to India some years ago the idea grew to compose a whole album focusing on the darkest of the ages in Hindu mythology, the Iron Age or Kali Yuga. I instinctively felt that this would serve as a great metaphor for current crisis in the world, a time of corruption, decline and war. This concept also allowed me to dive even deeper into shamanistic ritual sounds than before and to create a multi-layered and transcultural musical metaphor. This album is more achaic, drum driven and spiritual than all things I created earlier. And I was happy enough to collaborate with talented people for this monumental effort, especially German ambient artist M. M. Ra. as well as the ambitious artcore-guitarist Patrick Kilian of the German post-punk-band Rome Asleep. ‘Kali Yuga’, a work in progress for three years, aims to go beyond the boundaries of apocalyptic ambience and may be seen as modern aural shamanism." Marcus S.
Edition of 600 copies in 4 panel digi sleeve. 11 Tracks. Running Time 52:00
THE FLOATING WORLD "The Wood Beyond The World" CD (2nd Eclipse)
The Japanese term ‘ukiyo,’ translated as ‘the floating world,’ was used to describe the pleasure seeking urban culture of Edo Japan. When alternately rendered as ‘sorrowful world’ the term took on Buddhist connotations, indicating the transitory nature of human experience, the ephemerality of existence. These two seemingly opposed yet sympathetic concepts have always heavily informed the music of The Floating World and each album has been created with these as central themes. Named for a novel by William Morris, The Wood Beyond the World is The Floating World’s latest album and an attempt to capture the journey from the mundane to the illusory made by the novel’s protagonist – a journey that reflects the hunt for the temporal and intangible the band’s name intimates. With the addition of Neddal Ayad (guitar; Desolation Singers/Great Attractor) and Grey Malkin (drones, bells, piano; The Hare and the Moon), as full members who have brought additional nuance to the music, this ambition is more fully realized. Amanda’s delicate, melancholy flute parts now weave in and out of Neddal’s hazy guitar and Grey’s eerie and dissonant accompaniments – the whole underpinned by various rough field recordings used to compliment and counterpoint the music. Roy Felps (Korperschwache) also guests on the album, adding drifting acoustic guitar to a song. Amanda has also collaborated with Lacus Somniorum, New Risen Throne, Far Black Furlong, Dodson and Fog, The Joy of Nature and The Hare and the Moon. She and Neddal have another band together, Secrets to the Sea, as well. Released as part of our Eclipse Series.
Edition of 500 copies in 4 panel digi sleeve. 8 Tracks. Running Time 54:00
Founded in 2006 in Stockholm and named after an underrated b-side by The Cure, The Exploding Boy is a four-piece post-punk act who recently signed a worldwide record deal with Germany's Drakkar Entertainment (Haggard, The Sorrow, Emil Bulls).
Picked up for release by Toronto's Artoffact Records in North America, The Exploding Boy's fourth album (appropriately entitled Four) is supported by a Johan Edlund (Tiamat)-produced video for Dark City Pt. II, the album's first single. A second single for Street Cliche was released on iTunes on October 8th. The album's ten tracks present a fresh array of influences, from classics like The Cure, Sisters Of Mercy, Joy Division and Bauhaus to newer bands like Placebo and Editors.
The foursome has toured extensively in Europe, played some of the biggest European festivals (Wave-Gotik-Treffen, Blackfield, Nordstern, Summer Darkness), and their first North American show was last year on New Year's Eve in Times Square.
The Exploding Boy will release Four on CD and digital on Artoffact Records on November 5th.
Yesterday we informed you about the B-Wave festival One of the acts is The Roswell Incident who'll play one hour. Peek-A-Boo presents you their clip Hunted which is like Vangelis on beats, Blade Runner meets The Orb....simply stunning!
Visionary director Chris Cunningham spent 2 years with Warpaint, filming and photographing as they made new music. In addition to capturing imagery he also reimagined the songs themselves, creating beautiful and exciting alternate versions to soundtrack the visuals. The resulting documentary is something that only could have come from this unique meld of talents. The above teaser gives a little glimpse of what's in store…
