Hidden Shoal News
Liam Singer on the Underground
Liam Singer, our enigmatic chamber-pop composer, is still turning heads with another great review on Underground of Happiness last week . If you haven’t already, you can pick up a copy of his debut release Dislocatia at our lovely little store here.
Liam Singer – Winter Weeds Liam Singer – Winter Weeds
Slow Dancing Society Tops the KZSU Charts!!!
Slow Dancing Society’s latest opus Under The Sodium Lights has weaved its spell at the always excellent KZSU by grabbing the number one spot on last weeks airplay charts. Kudos to KZSU for its brilliant music programming – this week’s number two spot belongs to Tim Hecker.
Check out Slow Dancing Society releases at the Hidden Shoal Store including Under The Sodium Lights as well as free downloads and full album streams. Stay tuned for more exciting SDS news coming soon!
Slow Dancing Society – ‘Laura’s Dream’
Hotels – RTRFM Feature Album
We’ve all patiently waited to hear more from the majestic Hotels and our patience has been rewarded thricefold with On the Casino Floor. The epic concept album has already received rave reviews and you can be sure there are more on the way. Amongst those singing the albums praises are Perth’s ever wonderful RTRFM who have selected it as this week’s Drivetime Feature Album. The album will be featured all week on the station and Perth folks can win themselves a copy each day on the Drivetime show.
Hotels – ‘Trouble at the Consulate’
Antonymes 'Endlessly' – Single and Video
Hidden Shoal Recordings is proud to announce the release of the new single ‘Endlessly’ by neo-classical/minimal ambient artist Antonymes, along with its accompanying video, taken from the forthcoming album The Licence To Interpret Dreams.
In its opening moments, ‘Endlessly’ patiently weaves traces of nature with unearthly, oscillating tones, creating a delicate, pensive atmosphere. Its apex comes halfway through as the gentle tones give way to a strident, emotive piano theme. The accompanying video is a continuation of Antonymes’ stunning explorations into the still and moving image. Hypnotic, minimal and expertly crafted, it is the perfect visual echo of the music.
The Licence To Interpret Dreams is an album of resonant beauty, it is 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.
“sound sketches of enormous, if fragile, beauty” – The Silent Ballet on Beauty Becomes the Enemy of the Future
“… ‘Beauty Becomes The Enemy Of The Future’ is without doubt an exceptional release that manages to capture everything that is so special about experimental music, and is up there with the likes of Skelton for the message that the music conveys through both sound and design.” – Fluid Radio on Beauty Becomes the Enemy of the Future
‘Endlessly’ is available for free download from the HSR Store, and the accompanying video can be streamed on Hidden Shoal’s channel at Vimeo and YouTube. The Licence To Interpret Dreams is released on 21 April, distributed via n5Mailorder, and will be available for pre-order from 1 April.
Jumpel Continues to Chart at KBOO
Jumpel’s sublime 2010 album Europa continues to chart at the excellent Portland radio station KBOO. The album has been making dents across a number of US college stations over the last few months – quite rightly so we say!
Check out availability details, free downloads and stream the album in full here.
Jumpel – ‘Rom’
Hotels "On The Casino Floor" CD Launch 26th Feb
Hotels’ “On The Casino Floor” cd release show is fast approaching and things are hotting up! Lets hear from the band themselves why you are nowhere if you aren’t at Columbia City Theater in Seattle on the 26th of Feb:
“Joining the show is the velvety voice of Kim Miller (Mono in VCF), gorgeous burlesque dancers, a special appearance by Hotels’ drummer emeritus Max Wood, and a cameo appearance by the handsome Josh Monuteaux. Oh yes, and deadly ninjas!! The masterful DJ Marco Collins won’t even tell us what he has planned for the evening. We only know he’s been spending time in his basement working on the dance party day and night, night and day. We can’t wait!!”
If you haven’t already purchased your tickets, you still can still do so at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/153571, but you’d better hurry!
Hotels – ‘The Bat Watusi’
Hotels "On The Casino Floor" Out Now!
Seattle-based sci-fi pop band Hotels, one of KEXP’s ‘top discoveries’ of recent years, are back with their latest opus. Hotels’ third album sees the much-loved band build on the strengths of their acclaimed sophomore album Where Hearts Go Broke, taking their addictive and singular meld of post-punk, shoegaze rock and cinematic pop and launching it into outer space. On The Casino Floor is a dizzying concept album, its seven masterful cuts telling the story of a secret agent, his former mentor and current arch-nemesis, and a nefarious prince’s plan to destroy Earth during the grand opening of the universe’s only outer space casino complex…
The album features the Brian-Wilson-meets-Mercury-Rev melancholy of ‘Lonely Islands’, the majestic astral pop of the title track, the noir surf punk of single ‘The Bat Watusi’, and the John Barry-inspired dream rock that is finale ‘Sleep In Fame’.
“Hotels fuse elements of new wave, goth, and surf so seamlessly that genre tags will be the last thing on your mind when you hear their bittersweet, atmospheric pop songs” – Time Out New York
“…a tightly nuanced and ominous track filled with homage to the drive-in horror B-flicks of yesteryear. Not to mention the ghosts of Link Wray and Dick Dale lurking in the shadows. Though cinematic in scope, ‘The Bat Watusi’ is frantic, sinister garage rock at its ass-shaking core.” – My Old Kentucky Blog
Release Date and Availability
On The Casino Floor is out now through Hidden Shoal Recordings and distributed via n5Mailorder. The CD version of the album features stunning artwork including a fold out poster, all designed by the wonderful Stuart Medley. Head to the Hidden Shoal Store for all availability info and to stream the album in full. The spectacular album launch (burlesque dancers and ninjas!) takes place in Seattle on 26 February 2011 at the Columbia City Theater. Check the Hotels’ website for full details.
Hotels – ‘Lonely Islands’
City of Satellites ‘BMX’ Music Video at Byron Bay Film Festival
The Dael Oates directed music video masterpiece for the City of Satellites track “BMX” has been selected as part of the Experimental Showcase Programme at the Byron Bay International Film Festival.
The festival is held from the 4th to the 13th of March in beautiful Byron Bay in New South Wales, Australia. Check out the full programme here and view the video here.
Hotels Charting at 3WK
In its first week in rotation (and a week before its official release) Hotels incredible new album On The Casino Floor has charted at number 16 in the 3WK Top 30. Pre-order your copy of the CD now ahead of its release on the 23rd of Feb. The CD version of the album comes with a stunning fold out poster designed by ever brilliant Stuart Medley.
Hotels – The Bat Watusi Hotels – The Bat Watusi
Hidden Shoal Minimalism Mix Tape
We’ve just started playing with 8tracks in the hope of getting regular mixes published for your listening pleasure. We’ll test the platform out a little more and if it feels good then expect more of these to come. Here’s something gentle and exploratory to start the show.