Hidden Shoal News
Hypnotic Neo-Classical Pop from REW<< (Single & Video)
We’ve been itching to give you a first taste of REW<<‘s forthcoming sophomore album Olive Skinned, Silver Tongued Sirens Sing Swan Songs and we’re relieved to say the time for itching is over! ‘The Lights in the Sands of Katumpkale’ is an evocative instrumental miniature – a window into Ryan E. Weber’s kaleidoscopic musical universe. Insistently plucked and bowed strings weave and coalesce around Weber’s effected vocals, creating a kind of surreal neo-classical pop. The accompanying music video, shot on Super 8 and transferred to VHS tape, deepens the song’s mystifying and avant-garde allure as the camera cuts between the body parts of an eerie, white-faced figure moving in black space.
‘The Lights in the Sands of Katumpkale’ is available now as a free download and stream. Check out the video on YouTube and Vimeo. Olive Skinned, Silver Tongued Sirens Sing Swan Songs will be released through Hidden Shoal on 16th July 2015. Find out more about REW<< here.
The October Solution’s “Axis Swim Scar” Out Now!
We’re excited to finally be able to announce the release of The October Solution‘s stunning debut album Axis Swim Scar. If you’re late to the party, dream-pop architects The October Solution are the inimitable combo of Drew Sullivan (Slow Dancing Society, City of Satellites) and Jarrod Manuel (City of Satellites). While steeped in ’80s nostalgia, their music moves beyond familiar tropes to stand as defiantly futuristic and progressive, no better exemplified than on the 1st single ‘1984’, which draws upon the sweeping grandeur of Disintegration-era Cure. Axis Swim Scar resonates with soaring guitars,ethereal vocals, and deftly woven pop melodies, melding the incandescent ambient sounds of Slow Dancing Society within the propulsive song-craft of City of Satellites.
Head here to stream and buy a copy of the album and also look out for it at the usual digital outlets such as iTunes, Spotify, Amazon and the rest. Don’t forget to download a free copy of 1st single, ‘1984’ here as well.
Hypnotic New Music Video for Markus Mehr’s ‘Only For A While’
Experimental ambient maestro Markus Mehr‘s track ‘Only For A While’ (taken from his 2012 album On) has recently featured on the Caf del Mar compilation SunScapes, alongside Brian McBride, Marconi Union and Biosphere. The track now has a hypnotic, Twin Peaks-style video, thanks to Hidden Shoal’s very own Cam Merton, in which a long, slow flight over forests and lakes loops on and on, deepening the music’s aching drift.
Check out the video at YouTube and listen to more of Mehr’s work here, including his latest masterpiece Binary Rooms.
Les Limbes Sonic Exposure Feature at Igloo Mag
We’re a little over a week away from the release of Les Limbes brilliant self-titled debut EP so what better time to delve a little deeper into this wonderful French outfit. Thanks to the ever wonderful Igloo Mag and their Sonic Exposure feature we can do that very thing! Head to Igloo Mag to hear more about the bands history, their approach and the forthcoming EP. And of course if you haven’t yet succumbed to the adrenalised, John Barry’esque post-rock’n’roll splendour that is ‘Hypersonic’, the first cut from the EP, then stream below or download here.
The Star Department Sign to Hidden Shoal
Hidden Shoal is proud to announce the signing of Irish indie-pop duo The Star Department multi-instrumentalists Justin Commins (Kill Krinkle Club) and Michael Orange (Feather Beds, Soft Bones), who formed in Dublin in 2006. The Star Department juxtapose atypical song structures and shifting time signatures with unashamedly pop-leaning melodies and orchestral ambience. Never self-indulgent yet never predictable, their debut album The Pea Green Boat mixed by Tom McFall (Bloc Party, REM, Stars, Weezer) charts a beguiling journey through gently psychedelic waters.
First single from The Pea Green Boat will be released on 23rd April 2015 with the album following in July.
Kramies Interview on KFRC
Listen in to Colorado’s KFRC at 12pm on Monday the 30th and you’ll be lucky enough to hear the dulcet tones of the lovely Kramies. He’ll be talking about his music, his upcoming French tour and may even play a tune or two.
And if you have not had the pleasure of losing yourself in the melancholic bliss that is his new single, ‘The Fate That Never Favored Us’, then stream it below or download it from Bandcamp.
Featured Track – Kramies ‘Inventors’
Everything about ‘Inventors’ is absolutely perfect: the chord sequence, in one of Kramies‘ usual weird tunings; the shimmering lead guitar work by David Paolucci; Todd Tobias’s production – and it’s all wrapped up in just over 3 minutes. I’m almost embarrassed to admit it, but I’m fondly reminded of ‘Spies’ from Coldplay’s debut album Parachutes, before they became one of the biggest bands in the world. ‘Inventors’ has a similar understated grandeur that’s subtly devastating.
Slow Dancing Society Mixtape at Igloo Mag
Drew Sullivan (aka Slow Dancing Society) has just dropped a magnificent mixtape for the wonderful Igloo Mag entitled Beautiful Oblivion. From Queensrÿche to Sigur Rós to Bruce Springsteen to Brian Eno and beyond, the eclectic mix echoes Sullivan’s own diverse and unfearing musical loves. Head to Igloo Mag to read some words from Drew on the musical selection and stream the mix in full and don’t forget to check out the latest Slow Dancing Society EP The Dusk Recital along with the rest of his discography at Hidden Shoal.
‘Hypersonic’ – Adrenalised Post-Rock Action from Les Limbes!
Be prepared to strap yourself in as we present the first single from Les Limbes’ brilliant debut self-titled EP. ‘Hypersonic‘ mixes adrenalised rock heft with atmospheric pop dynamics creating an instrumental that is both mesmerising and incredibly visceral. The song is lifted from from the forthcoming Les Limbes EP containing four instrumental tracks driven by dense, heavy guitars and a lithe, propulsive rhythm section, counterpointed with soaring strings and driving pianos. The EP is wholly engaging exercise in intensely focused energy and atmosphere.
Download ‘Hypersonic’ via Les Limbes’ Bandcamp or stream it at SoundCloud. The Les Limbes EP drops on the 5th of May through Hidden Shoal.
Born from the ashes of a number of previously active bands from Bordeaux, south west France (Beautiful Lunar Landscape, Nihil, Nucold), several members of Les Limbes began working together in 2012. Initially the band jammed and recorded their ideas, which made it clear something special was brewing. The band grew to a five piece (Arnaud Sigonney, Yoann Roy, Daniel Guerin, Julien Favreau, Nicolas Pointeau), began playing shows in Bordeaux, and recorded their brilliant four-track self-titled debut EP, to be released through Hidden Shoal (May 2015). Fans of Beautiful Lunar Landscape, who also released their debut through Hidden Shoal in 2007, will recognise the epic atmospheric rock stylings that Les Limbes effortlessly exude. However, the band also bring a new level of energy to the table, propelling these compositions into the stratosphere. This is noisy, rocket-fuelled post-rock’n’roll at its finest.
Markus Mehr on New Cafe del Mar Album!
The wonderful Cafe del Mar have just dropped their latest compilation, Sunscapes, featuring the track ‘Only For a While’ from Hidden Shoal’s sonic mastermind Markus Mehr! The album is a beautiful collection of ambient gems featuring artists such as Brian McBride, Biosphere, Marconi Union and Dvdub amongst others. Check out the promo below and get more info on the album at the Cafe del Mar site.