New Born, the debut album from Moscow’s Sounds of Sputnik, is a kaleidoscope of reverb-soaked guitar, calculated drums, thick bass, and angular guitars intertwined with ethereal vocals. This is extraordinary noise-pop, with layered harmonies, interlacing synth and distorted guitars. Sounds of Sputnik paired up with Canadian-Ukrainian duo Ummagma to co-write, produce, and record this album, to be released on UK label Ear to Ear Records. Ummagma’s Shauna McLarnon and Alexx Kretov both contribute solid warming vocals.
This project leans heavily on a shared love of melodic dream pop, post-rock and shoegaze with each member bringing their own influences: aspects of Lush, Curve, My Bloody Valentine and No Joy cleverly blend with Hammock, Jesus & Mary Chain and The Twilight Sad to create remarkable “dream noise”.
Rewind about 12 years ago. Roman, Shauna and Alexx were collaborating a bit until Shauna and Alexx left Russia. After losing contact for an entire decade, the three finally reunited last year and quickly beginning to work on new material. This release is a timely show of beauty in the face of the current ugly situation occurring between Ukraine and Russia.
New Born features drummer Graham Bonnar (Swervedriver/ Brian Jonestown Massacre) on ‘Overdrive’, and remixes by Malcolm Holmes (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark), psych rock producer Fran Ashcroft (Damon Albarn, Lords of Acid), Russian producers Morozov and Oleg Mezherovsky (Zapreshennie Barabanshiki), and Brazil’s Mind Movies. British producer Marc Joy (Primal Scream, Oasis, Bernard Butler of Suede, Mike Peters, Golden Fable) provided mastering support.
Both bands have been steadily developing a strong international following, partly due to their impeccable ability to blend genres. “In an orbit of their own, they are gathering followers like stardust” (Nerdy Frames).
About Sounds of Sputnik:
Moscow-based Sounds of Sputnik is Roma Kalitkin, whose signature sound mixes post-rock, shoegaze and dream pop with a slight kickback to noise pop. Originally from Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia, he draws inspiration from My Bloody Valentine, Jesus and Mary Chain, Ride, Sonic Youth, Happy Mondays, and Slowdive. Dubbing himself a “white crow”, the music he makes has always gone against trends within Russia, both now as a solo artist and for the 20-odd years he played in various post-punk and shoegaze bands prior to that.
About Ummagma:
Ummagma began in Moscow in 2003, but finally released two LPs (Ummagma & Antigravity) in 2012. They recently released the single Rotation and Lama LP on Emerald & Doreen Recordings. Ummagma has had a full-page feature in Rolling Stone Russia, has won Alternative Eurovision competitions for 2 years in a row (Amazing Radio & Pure 107.8 FM), and received 2 awards at the 2013 Australian Independent Music Video Awards. Ummagma has also caught the attention of Robin Guthrie (Cocteau Twins) and Malcolm Holmes (OMD), who have remixed tracks for fall 2014 release.
Label:
Ear to Ear Records was founded in Wales in 2013. Specialising in dream pop, shoegaze, and indie rock, the label originally began with local bands, such as Lights That Change and Indigo Sky. It soon grew to also include several bands from Europe/ North America, such as Ummagma and Sounds of Sputnik. This month, Ear to Ear also released an EP by Lights That Change.
« Although Monoton dried up in 1992, its entire output consisting of a handful of mini-albums and limited-run EPs, its minimalist electronica appears increasingly ahead of its time. The sole work of Austria's Konrad Becker, it was a key influence on the brand of Eurotronica found on labels from Kompakt to Mego. Becker began hooking up analogue rhythm boxes and tone generators in late '70s Vienna, churning out a terse music of bleeps, pings and subsonic pulses, all plunged in tape delay and reverb. Blau — originally titled Monotonprodukt 02 — was Monoton's first release from 1980.
The buzzing machines often sound strained to their limits, yet the overall mood is sombre, a palette of greys and umbers punctuated by Becker's incoherent murmurs. “Dubwise” is a spooky premonition of Rhythm and Sound's Germanic reggae. Muffled steel drums resound around “Wirklichkeit,” while “Teil 2″ is seared with a violin drone. Even after 28 years Monoton's unearthly, steely beauty is preserved intact. »
Rob Young
This classic album is now reissued for the first time ever and original copies exchange for $200 nowadays.
Soon:
Complot Bronswick reissues
Richard Attenborough, who was honored for his helming and production of the 1982 Oscar best picture “Gandhi” but was best known to American audiences for his role in Steven Spielberg’s “Jurassic Park” and its first sequel as park creator John Hammond, died on Sunday, his son tells BBC News. He was 90.
The stocky British filmmaker was awarded a life peerage by Queen Elizabeth II in 1993 for his stage work and for his efforts behind and in front of the camera to promote British cinema.
While Attenborough had been a prominent character actor in his native country since the early 1940s, he also achieved much as a producer, motion picture executive and cultural impresario. At various times he was chairman of the British Film Institute, Channel 4, Goldcrest Films, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and Capital Radio and a director of the Young Vic and the British Film Institute. In the late ’70s.
Source : IMDb
Exactly two years after Fatal Casualties debuted at Seja records with the highly acclaimed 'Paria' the band from Stockholm, Sweden is back with their second full-length album, slightly more hopeful entitled "Psalm". The dark sound on 'Psalm' has clearly indulged. Both in terms of melody and percussion it all ends up in a much richer, but also in even more disturbing sound yields. The album includes a re-recorded version of ‘Laica’ (we know of SITM remixes, but quite different) in which a glorious cameo for Darrin Huss, singer of the legendary Psyche. Fatal Casualties is the black pearl of electronic underground… Don't miss it!
Incubate is the annual celebration of cutting-edge culture. It is a festival exhibiting a diverse view on indie culture as a whole, including music, visual arts, film and contemporary dance, and a conference. It brings more than 200 cutting edge artists in an intimate context to an international audience. Black metal next to free jazz. Refreshing art next to inspiring debate.
Incubate takes place on 15 to 21 September 2014 in over 20 locations in Tilburg (NL).
289 artists will play at this years' Incubate in Tilburg.
The complete line-up can be found here.
Here you can order a ticket, they're still available.
