Hidden Shoal News
Markus Mehr’s “Dyschronia” in ACL’s Best of 2017
Markus Mehr‘s sublime Dyschronia has been selected as one of the ten best experimental releases of 2017 by the always excellent A Closer Listen. The album sits proudly alongside other wonderful works by artists such as Ben Frost, SAICOBAB, Félicia Atkinson and Marcus Fjellström amongst others. It’s a fantastic selection so check it out here and then if you’ve not already had the pleasure check out Dyschronia here.
Kramies In Studio Performance on CPR Radio
Check out these wonderful in-studio performances from our very own Kramies on Colorado Public Radio’s OpenAir. CPR’s OpenAir takes listeners inside the world of new and independent music – exposing them to up-and-coming artists and highlighting Colorado’s local music scene. Since launching in 2011, hundreds of bands, many of which have local ties, have visited the CPR Performance Studio to record their music and share insight with CPR’s OpenAir hosts, giving listeners exclusive access to a wide range of music with a Colorado focus.
Hidden Shoal Artists Featured in Scene Point Blank’s “Pass The Mic”
It’s time again for Scene Point Blank‘s excellent Pass The Mic feature, where artists and music industry types give their wrap up on 2017. Hidden Shoal’s own AWMA, Slow Dancing Society and Summon The Birds feature this year among a raft of other wonderful artists. Check it out here.Three Questions With Target Archery
Target Archery’s stunning 2017 debut, The Clock of the Long Now, unwinds over 40 blissful minutes, weaving a suite of glimmering musical tapestries that expand beyond the borders of conventional guitar pop. Headed by Ambrose Nock (Apricot Rail) and featuring contributions from Apricot Rail members Justin Manzano (production and instrumentation) and Jack Quirk (guitars), Clock of the Long Now explores the fertile realm of delicate, experimental post-pop, influenced by the likes of Sound Dust-era Stereolab, left-of-centre indie-pop bands such as Lacto-Ovo, The Go! Team and Ninetynine, and a dash of late ’80s Sonic Youth.
Why are we telling you all this? Because we cornered Ambrose and asked him to pull three questions out of the bag!
What’s the best show you’ve ever been to?
While it’s hard to go past Sonic Youth playing Daydream Nation in full, it’d have to be Gersey at the Rosemount many years ago – they were an incredible live band, especially in a small venue.
Build your own dream supergroup.
Keys & Sounds – Stina
Bass Guitar – Simon Struthers
Drum Kit – Ben Gibbard (lead singer from Death Cab but he played drums on their second record & they are stunning)
Woodwind – Mayuka Juber
Guitars – Myself!
Singing – Waltz era Glenn Richards (Augie March)
What’s one of your favourite albums that’s unlikely to be featured on anyone else’s list of favourite albums, and why do you love it?
I’m going to go with They forgot it in people by Broken Social Scene. Theres so many layers and little parts of it where they’ve just pushed things to their limit – things that you don’t notice at first but the character of the record has a lot of thought behind it. Without setting out to be, it’s almost a summation of all the techniques and things that were good about mid 90’s experimental guitar music, but with a lot of energy and delicacy thrown in.
Fantastic Liminal Drifter Interview with Kylie Sturgess
Check out this fantastic interview with Simon Order (aka Liminal Drifter) by the wonderful Perth-based podcast legend Kylie Sturgess. Starting with a question about the intersection of academia and art, Dr Simon “Liminal Drifter” Order spoke to Kylie Sturgess about the journey towards his third album, out in 2018. Sturgess is a regular on Perth’s RTRFM as well as hosting the fabulous Token Skeptic podcast among others.
Stream the interview via Kylie’s SoundCloud and be sure to check out Liminal Drifter’s releases here.
Chloe March “Blood-Red Spark” Out Now!
We’re excited to anounce the release of the utterly sumptuous Blood-Red Spark, the new album by English dream-pop artist Chloë March. The album is available on CD and in digital formats via Bandcamp and also through all good 3rd party online stores. Be sure to check out the album trailer below!
“a luminous voice, a smoky alto that unfurls like a plume of cigarette smoke, its velvety tone a sensual narcotic… it’s hard not to think of the mythological sirens who used their hypnotic voices to lure sailors ashore” – textura
In her fourth album, Blood-Red Spark, March continues her exploration of a rich musical seam in which songwriterly storytelling and imagistic soundscape meet. Beautiful ambient/electro-pop soundworlds of warm spaciousness and radiant sensuality are underpinned by a compelling pulse – a vital heartbeat of an album of emotional concealments and revealments, truth and trickery, loss, longing and desire.
March leads the listener through an immersive multi-layered world of melodic twists and unexpected harmonic shifts with the confident songcraft of a composer happily at home with her own distinctive musicality, occasionally reminiscent of Goldfrapp, C Duncan, The Cocteau Twins or David Sylvian, using her voice as intimate centre point and textural instrument. The single ‘Let It All In’ is at the heart of this intimacy, distilling the emotional magnetism that March brings to all her work into an intense shot of magic and liquid melancholy. Blood-Red Spark is further evidence of an artist gathering her musical forces and transforming them into shimmering gold.
Willem Gator’s “Locked-In Syndrome” Out Now!
We’re very excited to present Locked-In Syndrome, the fifth album by Italian electronic producer Willem Gator (also of Italian post rock behemoth HC-B). The album is available now via Bandcamp and all good 3rd party stores including iTunes and Spotify. Also check out the awesome music video by Riccardo Napoli from Sunthetic (and HC-B) for first single ‘Closer’.
“The result is an experience that is eminently danceable but deeply melancholic. It transmits hedonism and detachment. Electronic anthems scale the musical skies while probing the emotional lows.”” – Escafandrista on Locked In Syndrome
Across its concise 40-minute run-time, Locked-In Syndrome deploys its beats and synths for maximum impact, creating an eminently danceable yet deeply melancholic experience. Conveying the overwhelming experience of being at a hedonistic celebration and feeling profoundly detached and alone, these electronic paeans to dislocation scale the musical skies while plumbing the emotional lows.
Stretching out across six-plus minutes, tracks like ‘Umbrella Revolution’ and ‘AF 16’ have a deeply satisfying momentum, carrying the listener towards a shadowy, unknown destination. Indeed, for Willem Gator, the journey is the destination – a lonely ride through night-time streets, where bright lights promise much and deliver nothing… The album features stunning artwork by English collage artist and musician Ashley Reaks.
As with all Hidden Shoal releases, Willem Gator’s music is available for licensing. Contact us for more details.
Kramies Featured on Crackerfarm (Mike Beyers)
While in on a recent trip to Nashville, Kramies met up with the wonderful photographer Mike Beyers (The Avett Brothers, Depeche Mode, The National, Joanna Newsom etc.) and filmed a live video for his excellent site Crackerfarm. Even more exciting, ‘Kite Ropes’ is a brand new track which will feature on an upcoming 2018 Kramies release. Enjoy!
New Chloe March Single and Forthcoming Album!
Hidden Shoal and Powderkeg Records are proud to announce the forthcoming release of Blood-Red Spark, the new album by English dream-pop artist Chloë March. The gorgeous first single from the album, ‘Let It All In’, is available now to stream and download. The album sees release on the 8th of December 2017.
“a luminous voice, a smoky alto that unfurls like a plume of cigarette smoke, its velvety tone a sensual narcotic… it’s hard not to think of the mythological sirens who used their hypnotic voices to lure sailors ashore” – textura
In her fourth album, Blood-Red Spark, March continues her exploration of a rich musical seam in which songwriterly storytelling and imagistic soundscape meet. Beautiful ambient/electro-pop soundworlds of warm spaciousness and radiant sensuality are underpinned by a compelling pulse – a vital heartbeat of an album of emotional concealments and revealments, truth and trickery, loss, longing and desire.
March leads the listener through an immersive multi-layered world of melodic twists and unexpected harmonic shifts with the confident songcraft of a composer happily at home with her own distinctive musicality, occasionally reminiscent of Goldfrapp, C Duncan, The Cocteau Twins or David Sylvian, using her voice as intimate centre point and textural instrument. The single ‘Let It All In’ is at the heart of this intimacy, distilling the emotional magnetism that March brings to all her work into an intense shot of magic and liquid melancholy. Blood-Red Spark is further evidence of an artist gathering her musical forces and transforming them into shimmering gold.
Interview With Kramies at Half-Life Music
Check out this wonderful interview with Kramies over at the excellent Irish zine Half-Life Music. Kramies talks about his time in Ireland (where he wrote his new single), working with Jason Lytle & Grant Wilson and his songwriting process amongst much more.