Hidden Shoal News
Antonymes UnderExposed Feature at Fluid Radio
Antonymes continues Fluid Radio‘s wonderful UnderExposed series with a remixed track accompanied by a stunning photographic sequence. The remix entitled ‘Lost in Waves of Light’ was created from the reworking of four separate tracks from The Licence to Interpret Dreams. The resulting piece has an intimate familiarity for fans of the album and for those who have not yet tasted, it provides a wonderful introduction.
Check it all out here and be sure to check back with us in May as we will be releasing the ‘Lost in Waves of Light’ remix for free download.
Hotels Voter Thank You Party
Hotels is readying to thank everyone who voted for Hotels to make them 1 of 6 finalists in Billboard.com’s Battle of the Bands. Thanks to all you beautiful people the band and will be heading down to Las Vegas for the final showdown on May 18th.
As special thanks, Hotels is throwing a party this Friday at 8pm at the Sunset Tavern in Seattle. They’ve specially arranged for happy hour prices on micros and wells, Hotels will provide tasty pizza and we’ll be giving away swag!! The night will feature Yuni in Taxco, Blue Skies for Black Hearts and of course the mighty Hotels.
For more info visit the Facebook event page.
Hotels – ‘Trouble At The Consulate’
Antonymes Interview and Sound Postcard at Headphone Commute
The wonderful Headphone Commute have once again laid on the Hidden Shoal loving. This time the spotlight is firmly on Ian Hazeldine (aka Antonymes) with a lovely mini interview as well as an exclusive Sound Postcard created specifically for Headphone Commute.
This follows on from last week’s Hidden Shoal special at Headphone Commute which featured a number of glowing reviews including a very special write up of Antonymes The Licence to Interpret Dreams. Check it all out here and check out the album here.
Antonymes "The Licence To Interpret Dreams" Out Now
Hidden Shoal Recordings is proud to announce the official release of The Licence To Interpret Dreams by neo-classical/minimal ambient artist Antonymes. The Licence To Interpret Dreams, Antonymes debut for Hidden Shoal, is an album of resonant beauty, as expansive as the wilds of North Wales from which it came, yet as delicate and intimate as a loved one’s breath upon your skin. Each song deploys a modest array of instruments and textures, giving them ample space to breathe and glow. The album’s scope is immediately apparent on breathtaking opener ‘The Slow Beginnings of a ‘A Fragile Acceptance’, where faint piano notes are overwhelmed by an aching surge of cellos, and the timeless, lingering chord progression of ‘The Siren, Hopelessly Lost’.
Single ‘Endlessly’ weaves traces of nature with unearthly, oscillating tones before giving way to a strident piano theme. On ‘Doubt’, Jan Van Den Broek delivers the words of Paul Morley, cradled against a bed of melancholic piano, violin and cello, leaving an indelible emotional mark. ‘A Light From The Heavens’ almost feels like a natural conclusion to the album, with its sense of reflective yearning, but it is followed by the devastating metaphysical breakdown of ‘On Arrival at the Strange Museum’, a cavernous piece that calls out like some giant magnetic spirit.
“This album is probably the most heartbreaking set of songs I’ve heard since Bon Iver’s For Emma Forever Ago, or I Am A Bird Now by Antony And The Johnsons. It’s Brian Eno meets a dagger to the heart….a record that deserves album of the year, even four months into 2011.” – Delusions of Adequacy
“There is so much to experience and so much the music will conjure for the listener. The music on The License to Interpret Dreams can influence how one views the world, their inherent sensibilities, of knowing, and, finally, of returning.” – Fluid Radio
The Licence To Interpret Dreams is available now physically and digitally through Hidden Shoal Recordings, distributed via n5Mailorder. Read a full press release here.
Antonymes – ‘The Siren, Hopelessly Lost’
Hidden Shoal Feature at Headphone Commute
The always awesome Headphone Commute blog (one of our favourite reads for new music) has written up a Hidden Shoal extravaganza today with 4 reviews of recent Hidden Shoal releases including Markus Mehr, Slow Dancing Society, Jumpel and Antonymes. If that wasn’t enough the latest site update also includes a fantastic interview with Markus Mehr. Keep your eyes peeled for more Hidden Shoal loveliness at Headphone Commute soon.
Markus Mehr – ‘Hubble’
Antonymes Interview on 4ZZZ Radio
Ahead of the release of The Licence to Interpret Dreams on the 21st of April we invite you to stream the fantastic interview with Antonymes on the wonderful 4ZZZ radio show War Is Peace. Many thanks to Sky, who presents the War Is Peace show, for making the interview happen.
Hotels Interview at Billboard
Check out the sweet Q&A with Hotels at Billboard ahead of their performance in Las Vegas at Billboards Battle of the Bands final. After being chosen by Billboard as one of the the most promising “under the radar” bands in the U.S., Hotels went on to win the northwest region of the competition by public vote. They will compete at Billboards May 18 Battle of the Bands concert against the finalists from the other five regions. The ultimate winner will score an appearance at the Billboard Music Awards on May 22.
Why are Hotels so awesome? Things like this prove it beyond doubt.
Hotels – ‘On The Casino Floor’
Antonymes RTRFM Feature Album
Antonymes stunning new album The Licence To Interpret Dreams is RTRFM‘s across station Feature album this week! Listen in to bathe in its beauty and win one of 8 copies. The album sees its official release this Thursday.
New Umpire Single Out Now – Free Download
Hidden Shoal Recordings is proud to announce the release of new single ‘Green Light District’ by Perth’s widescreen indie-rock craftsmen Umpire. ‘Green Light District’ marries Umpire’s sprawling indie-rock sounds and reflective melancholy, providing the instant gratification of massive sun-drenched melodies and soaring vocals. The track is taken from Umpire’s forthcoming debut album Now We’re Active, the band’s first release to feature new drummer Josh Watkins, and produced at Umpire’s own studio by bass player Simon Struthers.
‘Green Light District’ follows up the band’s self-titled EP of 2009, which featured the standout track ‘Streamers’. ‘Streamers’ received rave reviews and achieved widespread high rotation airplay across Australian radio including national broadcaster Triple J. The track also took out the grand prize in the WAM Song of the Year in 2009.
“manages to completely avoid every current trend being flogged at the moment to approach a timelessness that rewards upon repeated listens” – The Vine on Umpire’s debut EP
“A song I can’t get out of my head. A wonderful place to be.” – Richard Kingsmill on ‘Streamers’
“Record of the year thus far no doubt.” – X-Press Magazine on Umpire’s debut EP
‘Green Light District’ is available now for free download from the Hidden Shoal Store. Umpire launch their single in Perth on 23 April at Amplifier Bar. Their debut full-length Now We’re Active receives its Australian CD release and digital release on 2 June, and international CD release on 14 July. The Australian album launch will take place in Perth at the Rosemount on 4th of June. Umpire will be touring Australia during July and August. Check the press release for more details.
Slow Dancing Society Re-Issues
We are very excited to announce the upcoming CD re-issues of the first three Slow Dancing Society albums. Since the first issues of each release sold out we have been inundated with requests to re-issue and not being ones to stand in the way of an angry mob we have submitted to their will! The stunning triumvirate of The Sound of Lights When Dim, The Slow and Steady Winter and Priest Lake Circa ’88 will see their cd re-issue on the 19th of May, distributed through n5mailorder.
You’ll want to get in quick when pre-orders become available on the April 29th as this limited re-issue will be sure to go quickly. And of course don’t forget to check out the latest Slow Dancing masterpiece Under The Sodium Lights available now digitally and on CD.
Slow Dancing Society -‘Be There’