Hidden Shoal News
Kramies Live at the Père Lachaise Cemetery
Check out this wonderful feature in the French zine PopNews and see Kramies give us a gorgeous live rendition of ‘The Wooden Heart’ at the same French cemetery that Jim Morrison and so many dead poets and musicians now call home!
“The Sparkling Ground” MixTape by Chloe March
We have another delicious artist curated mixtape to quench your thirsty ears. The Sparkling Ground comes to us courtesy of the supremely talented UK songstress Chloe March as she takes us from the Cocteau Twins to Flying Lotus to Grasscut to Kate Bush and beyond. Here’s what Chloe has to say about the mix,
“Songs that sparkle and songs that evoke a powerful sense of place and often both things combined in the same song. I’m fascinated by melancholy and rapture in song and the way the two play with each other. A lot of this music is fairly new to me, music I fell in love with once I’d finished my own album, but there are some old friends here too, artists who have had and still have a profound effect on me, both as a listener and a writer. Hope you enjoy this sparkling sound-trip.”
“The Sparkling Ground” A MixTape by Chloe March by Hidden Shoal on Mixcloud
Hypnotic New Single and Forthcoming Album from Todd Tobias
We’re excited to announce the forthcoming release of Tristes Tropiques, the new album by prolific multi-instrumentalist and producer Todd Tobias (Circus Devils, Ricked Wicky, Robert Pollard). Hypnotic and melancholy-soaked, Tristes Tropiques draws comparisons to the eerie, transportive work of The Fun Years, The Gentleman Losers and Ian William Craig. Within his consistently excellent solo discography, Tristes Tropiques may prove to be Todd Tobias’s best work to date, sustaining its immersive atmosphere throughout its 45-minute run-time.
To get you in the mood the first single from the album, ‘Suvarnabhumi’, is out now and available for free download and streaming. Tristes Tropiques drops on the 9th of June 2015 through Hidden Shoal and Tiny Room Records and comes bundled with the gorgeous companion EP Moorea.
Tristes Tropiques takes its title from the book by French anthropologist Claude Levi Strauss, which literally translates as “sad tropics”. Tobias sought to evoke far-flung places where indigenous cultures have either vanished or are in the process of being swallowed up by an ever-expanding global civilization. Sinister yet alluring, these musical environments throb with sensuality, danger and promise.
Hidden Shoal Artists Featured at Textura This Month
It’s a Hidden Shoal bonanza at Textura at the moment! Tracks from The October Solution, Kramies and Les Limbes are all featured along with the new video for Markus Mehr’s ‘Only For A While’.
Check it all out here.
Featured Track – Todd Tobias ‘Night of the Clubfoot’
Choosing a single track from any of Todd Tobias‘s shadowy instrumental albums offers a tantalising glimpse into his intoxicating universe of sound. In the case of ‘Night of the Clubfoot’, the opening track of Medicine Show, a distorted electric guitar weaves a gorgeous, unexpected melodic progression over a doomy dirge. If Medicine Show is a movie, then ‘Night of the Clubfoot’ is the curtain drawing back to reveal something horrible and hypnotic. This is atmospheric instrumental rock staggering through a glass darkly; a fantastical world that’s deep and dangerous enough to lose yourself in.
New Single from The Star Department Out Now!
After premiering on the Crackling Vinyl blog, we’re excited to be able to announce the official availability of The Star Department’s new single. ‘This Ship Won’t Sail’ is a stunning introduction to the duo’s inventive take on expansive down-tempo indie pop and the perfect intro to the band’s forthcoming full length The Pea Green Boat. The song’s organ-driven twists and turns evoke the dark charm of Psychedelic Fur’s ‘Sister Europe’, Deerhunter’s more pop-leaning moments, and the chiming guitar work of seminal Flying Nun outfits. Never self-indulgent yet never predictable, this is hypnotic, emotive stuff.
‘Art rock with a nice, romantic/melodic edge’ – The Guardian
The Star Department are multi-instrumentalists Justin Commins (Kill Krinkle Club) and Michael Orange (Feather Beds, Soft Bones), who formed in Dublin in 2006. Their forthcoming debut album The Pea Green Boat, mixed by Tom McFall (Bloc Party, REM, Stars, Weezer), charts a beguiling journey through gently psychedelic waters.
‘This Ship Won’t Sail’ is available now for download with Pea Green Boat dropping on the 7th of July 2015 through Hidden Shoal.
Kramies Live Session and Feature at IndieMusic
Photo by Jérôme Sevrette
After Kramies whirlwind tour of France, we are left a wake of wonderful features, live sessions and reviews from a range of awesome French mags, zines and blogs to share with you. Case in point is this fantastic feature at the excellent IndieMusic, including some stunning photos of the man himself and a beautiful live version of ‘The Wooden Heart’.
Check it out here and watch this space and as we share more of Kramies French gems!
Crackling Vinyl Premieres New Star Department Single
Ahead of its release later this week, the wonderful Crackling Vinyl blog is premiering the brand new single from The Star Department. ‘This Ship Won’t Sail’ is a sublime slice of melancholic atmos-pop that opens the door to the bands debut album The Pea Green Boat (mixed by Tom McFall (Bloc Party, REM, Stars, Weezer) out July 7th.
Head to Crackling Vinyl now to soak in the goodness and read more about The Star Department here.
Liminal Drifter Signs to Hidden Shoal
Hidden Shoal is excited to announce the signing of Perth based (via UK) electronic producer Liminal Drifter (aka Dr. Simon Order) to its roster of artists.
Order’s previous work in the UK includes the ’90s project dUB Rumble, producing remixes with UK prog rockers Galahad and infamous funksters The Bird Tribe along with numerous TV, film and radio sound credits. Order is also an academic at Perth’s Murdoch University, where he researches radio and music technology, including radio production, community media, user-interface usability, and the use of music technology in teaching and learning.
His work as Liminal Drifter is an ongoing travelogue between identities, physical places and states of consciousness. Many of these dreamy, evocative slices of ambient electronica evolved on hand-held mobile devices, away from the studio, while traveling or visiting new places. This sense of contemplative, exploratory rootlessness imbues his work with the wistfulness and open narrative we often associate with travel.
Liminal Drifter’s debut album Troubled Mystic features collaborations with the ever wonderful Chloe March and will see release on August 12th, preceded by the first single in early July.
Les Limbes Explosive Self-Titled Debut EP Out Now!
Hidden Shoal is excited to announce the release of the powerhouse debut self-titled EP from French outfit Les Limbes. The Les Limbes EP is an exercise in intensely focused energy and atmosphere. Its four instrumental tracks are driven by dense, heavy guitars and a lithe, propulsive rhythm section, counterpointed with soaring strings and driving pianos. This mix of adrenalised rock heft with atmospheric pop dynamics is both mesmerising and incredibly visceral.
“All the arty guff on this EP, the soft heart of prog is melted down and reforged into a lead ball which gets fired at your chest. It’s the kind of attack that makes you stronger, revives a lagging passion for types of music that have been worn down by workmanlike treatment. Quite the opposite of their name, which means, simply, Limbo, Les Limbes are thrilling.” – 4ZZZ (Chris Cobcroft)
The Les Limbes EP is available now via BandCamp along with the usual digital retail stores.