Over the course of three albums—and as an in-demand remixer of artists ranging from Animal Collective to, most recently, Philip Glass—the Berlin-based musician and producer Pantha Du Prince (Hendrik Weber) has been celebrated for pushing the envelope of electronic music. His newest effort, Elements of Light, a collaborative project with The Bell Laboratory, is doubtless his most ambitious to date: The work is a symphony for electronics, percussion and bell carillon, a three-tonne instrument comprising 50 bronze bells.

The genesis of the project began in Oslo in the summer of 2010, when Weber was having lunch with the local curators Mattis With and Håkon Vinnogg and heard, in the distance, one of the concerts that are played multiple times daily on a bell carillon inside the city hall. Weber was struck by how the frequencies and overtones unfolded unpredictably, influenced one another, and resonated, more or less, throughout the Norwegian capital.

With and Vinnogg suggested he compose for the carillon, which was developed in China 3,500 years ago, during the Shang Dynasty, and made its way to Europe during the Middle Age. Weber began collaborating with the Norwegian Lars Petter Hagen, who served as arranger and conductor. For the recording, a bell carillon was shipped from Denmark to Germany, where Vegar Sandholt, the same carillonist that Weber had heard during his stay in Oslo, played it.

A separate session, in Oslo, brought together a variety of percussionists, including Weber; Martin Horntveth, of Jaga Jazzist, Killl and The National Bank; Erland Dahlen, of Nils Petter Molvaer Trio, Susanne Sundfør, Madrugada, Xploding Plastix, and Kaada; the researcher and performer Håkon Stene, who teaches at the Norwegian Academy of Music; and Heming Valebjørg, of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra. They contributed numerous tubular bells, marimba, xylophone, cymbals, chimes, handclaps, finger snaps and other percussion.

The album is a single continuous work, although it has been broken down into five tracks named for elements of light: “Wave,” “Particle,” Photon,” “Spectral Split” and “Quantum.” Sonically, the work is a fusion of electronic music and classical composition, and draws on house and minimalism, jazz and new music, gamelan and western sacred music. Influences include John Cage, Iannis Xenakis, Steve Reich, LaMonte Young and Moondog.

OUT NOW!!

"80s COMPILATION EP"

EV07 | 7" EP 33rpm (16'00) l release date 2013-01-10
THE MISZ – BERNTHØLER – OPERA MULTI STEEL – NINE CIRCLES

A four-piece miniature on vinyl dedicated to the 80s!
Each musical project is unique in style and chosen at random and none of it needs any further introduction.

Together they form a perfect match for this one/off limited compilation which illustrates the charming chaos of the 80s at its best!

Tracklist:
Belgian side

A1 THE MISZ "A La Recherche de B.L." (4:15) 1988
(previously unreleased)

A2 BERNTHØLER "Images" (3:20) 1982
(rare cassette compilation track)

European side

B1 OPERA MULTI STEEL (F) "Icare" (3:58) 1989
(rare cassette compilation track)

B2 NINE CIRCLES (NL) "I'm Deeply Touched" (4:27) 1980/82
(authorised version)

Offset-printed covers in clear PVC-sleeve

Limited edition of 350 copies.

Only 200 copies available directly from our office!

First 100 copies come with 2 extra photographs.

Filed under: New Wave, Minimal Synth, Synth-Pop

Sub Pop Records is excited to announce that Duluth, MN, trio Low are releasing their 10th record, The Invisible Way, on March 19, 2013 (the 18th in the UK). The record was produced by Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, engineered by Tom Schick and recorded in Wilco’s studio in Chicago, IL, during the fall of 2012. Coincidentally, the release marks Low's 20th anniversary as a band. A trailer for the new album can be seen HERE. Bloggers feel free to post.

“While driving through Chicago on tour, we finally stopped to visit Wilco at their studio, The Loft,” says guitarist/vocalist Alan Sparhawk. “They had invited us to come check it out several times over the years, but this would finally be the day…What really converted us was hearing the new Mavis Staples tracks they were working on – big, simple, raw and intimate. Plans were made then and there.”

The Invisible Way finds Low’s majestic melancholy in full bloom yet distinguishes itself with its starker, unadorned soundscapes, layered harmonies and drummer/vocalist extraordinaire Mimi Parker singing lead on five of the 11 songs. The album tackles large issues (“the songs are about intimacy, the drug war, the class war, plain old war war, archaeology and love,” says Sparhawk) in a confrontational manner that plays a stunning counterpoint to the sublime hush of the music.

Low are also now making available a fantastic six-song live set they are calling Low – Plays Nice Places. The recording features 5 previously released fan favorites, as well as a new song called "Waiting", all of which were recorded at various historic theaters on the bands April 2012 tour supporting Death Cab for Cutie. Additionally, the live version of "Words" features Benjamin Gibbard on bass and vocals.

The tracklisting is :

Words (featuring Benjamin Gibbard)*

Waiting

Sunflowers

Witches

Pissing

Murderer

*Benjamin Gibbard appears courtesy of Atlantic Records

A European tour has been confirmed to begin April 24, 2013 in the UK at the Glee Club in Birmingham and finishes May 18 in Biarritz, France at Atabal. The complete tour dates are listed below.

May

8 – Brussels, Belgium – Cirque Royal – Nuits Botanique

After getting great reviews for their debut EP and debut album Norma are back with their second album "The Invisible Mother". Norma's music is a mixture of ambient, kraut, noise, electronica, indie often with a strict, repetitive bass/drum pattern and a magnificent, wide and almost hypnotic sound.

This is rich, panoramic music with a warmth that you don’t hear often from other bands trying to do something in this genre. German kraut is one obvious thing, but also the spacerock of Spiritualized and Spacemen3 comes to mind. Newer references may be Silverbullit, 120 days, Serena Maneesh and Sigur Ros.

The new album leans a little bit more towards the electronic/dance scene but it is still as organic and flowing as ever. The first single (with a great dance video made by Hedvig Jenning) is a suberb little song with a large sound called Joan.

Out on Novoton

Echo Beatty are a new Belgiuan band whose album will be released at the end of January.

Peek A Boo present you their new (excellent) video.