Tape – Milieu plus – 2LP
Tape is a trio from Stockholm, building their music from a whole array of acoustic instruments, computer and field recordings. Their first CD “Opera” got excellent reviews in international press and was compared to artists such as Talk Talk, Gastr del Sol, Fennesz, John Fahey and Faust. “Milieu Plus” is peaceful, slightly melancholic, impressionistic without sounding tentative.
Andreas Berthling / Johan Berthling / Tomas Hallonsten
banjo, violin, guitar, synthesizer, computer, organ, harmonium, accordion, harmonica, trumpet, field recordings, percussion, concrete sounds, vibraphone, glockenspiel, Chinese flute, alto recorder, piano, melodica
Guests: Magnus Granberg – alt saxophone (4,7) | Staffan Johansson – lapsteel guitar (2,8) | Played, recorded and mixed by Tape at Öland and in Stockholm Summer & Autumn of 2003. | Mastered by Henrik Jonsson at Polar Studios and Masters of Audio. | Cover by Klas Augustsson. Photos by Ann Sofie Börjesson. | Limited edition of 500 handnumbered copies on clear yellow vinyl.
Tracklist: 1. Oak player | 2. Sponge chorus | 3. Star skid | 4. Crippled tree | 5. Augustan chateau | 6. Edisto | 7. Spruce horns | 8. Golden twig | 9. Rocked root | 10. Long bell | 11. Root tattoo | 12. Switchboard fog
This litle beauty nearly passed us by completely, thank god it didn’t.
Tape’s second album manages to slightly outclass their debut offering ‘Opera’ by building up their uniquely passioned embrace of the world of live acoustic instrumentation. Tape is a trio from Stockholm, Sweden, building their music from a whole array of acoustic instruments, subtle electronics and field recordings. This eight track album manages to combine warm sonics with a slight abstract angle seemingly without any effort at all through the use of banjo, violin, organ, harmonium, accordion, harmonica and trumpet (plus around 10 other exotic instruments). To spotlight individual tracks is not necessary it’s the joy you’ll arrive at through listening to this album from start to finish that’ll really make you fall in love with this CD. At time joyful and at others sadly beautiful, bringing to mind the aura of Mark Hollis’ post Talk Talk debut album from 1998. I really can’t recommend this album highly enough. Please check it out. — Boomkat
Double LP version (incl. shipment cost world-wide)
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Polvere – Polvere – 10″LP
Xabier Iriondo, known for his previous works with Paolo Cantú in A Short Apnea as well as Uncode Duello projects, teamed up this time with Mattia Coletti to form Polvere, an indeed thrilling electro-acoustic project, in order to meet and mix opposite attitudes in music, searching for a personal musical way. Surely one of the best and the most entertaining releases in the catalogue yet!
Mattia Coletti – ukulele, acoustic and electric guitars, drums, percussions & voices | Xabier Iriondo – taisho koto, zither, old ’20 78RPM Japanese records, electronic treatments.
Recorded and mixed at Zeno and Zulo Gorria Studios. | Mastered at Bips Studios by Maurizio Giannotti. | Graphics by Polvere and Mirko Spino. | Limited edition of 500 copies.
Tracklist: 1. Rumors about polvere | 2. Dust folk song #1 | 3. Rice between clocks | 4. 78 [Traditional] | 5. …And if you slam the door [to Fabio Magistrali] | 6. Almsgiving blues reprise
The Polvere “Polvere” 10″
(Minority Records, MIN19) is six tracks of Mattia Coletti on acoustic and electric guitars, drums, percussions and vocals, and Xabier Iriondo on ukulele, taisho koto, zither, old Japanese 78s and electronic treatments. Let’s one think this was a new Polvo side-project! Coletti is a collaborator with Christa Pfangen and Iriondo has played with Damo Suzuki’s Network and Tasaday, the 80’s Italian experimental outfit. The 10″ is an edition of 500 but more sensitive and forward-thinking millionaires amongst us would sensibly buy every last one. Is this that good? The sleeve is white with simple lettering. The inner sleeve is bright red. The vinyl is slender and sharp-edged and sounds good even on a second-hand classroom record player. So, sort of. Think bodacious cantatas and you begin to dream to maybe possibly hope to approach the end result. — Signal to Noise #47
LP version (incl. shipment cost world-wide)
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Gastr Del Sol – Twenty songs less – 7″EP
minority records
Gastr del Sol was one of the most critically acclaimed experimental groups of the last decade founded by David Grubbs [Bastro, The Red Krayola], converting conventional rock music into intricate and sophisticated tone patterns. Likewise, Jim O’Rourke [Brise Glace, Sonic Youth], Bundy K. Brown [Tortoise] and John McEntire [Bastro, Tortoise] were involved in this luxurious recording.
Jim O’Rourke – electronics, engineering, editing | John McEntire – drums | Bundy K. Brown – acoustic | David Grubbs – acoustic guitar, piano
Executed in Chicago by Bundy K. Brown, David Grubbs, John McEntire and Jim O’Rourke in 1993. Painting by Paul Green. Limited edition of 1000 copies.
Tracklist: 1. Twenty songs less side one | 2. Twenty songs less side two
Photo: Manfred Rahs
Given the bad blood that circulated
following this group’s demise in 1998, it’s surprising to see material still flowing out of Gastr Del Sol’s wounds. But it’s difficult to resist the fascination their msuic continues to exert. Ostensibly a collaboration between Jim O’Rourke and David Grubbs (John McEntire and Bundy K. Brown seem to have kept their attention focused elsewhere), this quartet blended electronics and acoustics in new ways, creating a template that would be followed by people like the resurgent John Fahey, Hrvatski and many others. This is a reissue of an old Teenbeat single, but it has not dated in the least, and represents as brilliant a distilation of Gastr Del Sol’s essence as you’re likely to find. — The Wire
EP version (incl. shipment cost world-wide)
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Cheval De Frise – La lame du Mat – 10″LP
This French duo creates detailed and moody aural landscapes, where sweeping melodies and swirling dynamics blend dramatically. They spread their songs out like a lavish feast, inviting the listener to dine on a wide array of lush textures and expansive soundscapes. Vive Cheval de Frise! For fans of Gastr del Sol, Hella, and Don Caballero.
Thomas Bonvalet – amplified acoustic guitar | Vincent Beysselance – drums |Guest: John Dieterich – guitar (1)
Recorded by Jay Pellicci at Tiny Telephone Studio, San Francisco, CA in August 2004. Mixed by Adrian Riffo at D2 Mobil Factory. Cover art by Greg Vezon.
Tracklist: 1. La lame du mat I | 2. La lame du mat II | 3. La lame du mat III | 4. La lame du mat IV | 5. La lame du mat V
Cheval De Frise
is a French duo that existed since 1998 but quit playing together in August 2004. They’re releasing this posthumous 5 song 10” called La Lame Du Mat on the Czech label Minority records. The record was produced by Jay Pellici of 31 knots and honestly, boys and girls, if you’re as much into decomposed math rock as I am, you’ll love this. La Lame Du Mat sounds like it’s an improvised studio album, but after a few listens you’ll discover that the songs on this record reveal textures and disintegrating melodies that are so genuine they make me feel that warm and indescribable feeling only really brilliant music can produce. Needless to say that it’s been a while since a record from a band I never heard of confronted me with a feeling so pure. Vincent Beysselance and Thomas Bonvalet are the faces behind the band. Thomas is playing amplified acoustic guitar and Vincent is drumming. The line-up might be simple, the music they compose is very diverse.
The five compositions on this record (simply called La Lame Du Mat I to V) breathe an air of free spirit in a baroque classical atmosphere. Each piece floats in a timeless dimension and walks the often thin line between composition and decomposition. One might experience this album as rudimentary improv craziness, while at the same time consider it a masterpiece of composition and mathematical noisy art rock. Sure thing is that this instrumental record crosses borders of multiple genres with it’s gestures of jazz, noise, rock, improv and indie music. It might leave most of the kids out there confused. There’s no real formal comparisons to make and that only reveals the truly inventive brains behind Cheval De Frise. However, this band surely has matching ideas about music and art as bands like Hella, Don Caballero, Femme Fatale, the Flying Luttenbachers, My Name Is Rar Rar, Snack Truck or Flössin. So, I would really really really recommend this band to anyone that’s feeling musically related to any or all of the aforementioned bands cause this is truly inspirational. — Semtex Magazine
LP version (incl. shipment cost world-wide)