Down Review
“The EP rattles as much as it hums. It prods the subconscious with an array of sounds at once. For those who find Four Tet’s stuff a little tough on the melodies, you should know Down Review manages to escape that fate with an EP rich with color and promise.” – PopMatters
Medard Fischer (Arc Lab) and Tim Arndt (Near The Parenthesis) have never met nor even spoken. But from their online musical collaboration comes Down Review, melding their unique sensibilities to create a delicious hybrid – warm, human electronica for alienating times.
Discography
From Here, For Anyone
April 2009
Down Review is the new collaboration between Arc Lab and Near The Parenthesis. Their debut EP, From Here, For Anyone, is a captivating travelogue of luscious sprawl and purpose. The EP kicks off with the single ‘Anything Is Everything’, a post-midnight drive through a flaking neon city. Crisp programmed drums, warm synths and surging bass weave through a mist of skittering textures and falling light particles. Then, there’s the urgent phasing science of ‘Archive’, the outer planetary dub of ‘Always Enough’, and the creeping, insistent epic ‘All In’. It’s the kind of glowing electronica that could loop endlessly, such is the allure of its ebullient, cyclical melodies.
Biography
US-based electronic producers Tim Arndt (Near The Parenthesis) and Medard Fischer (Arc Lab) formed Down Review in 2007. They ‘met’ online for the first time through their debut label, Toronto-based MMBP, and developed immediate respect and admiration for each other’s work.
Down Review’s initial collaboration was featured on Near the Parenthesis’ album Of Soft Construction (n5MD, 2007). Their work on the track ‘Sitting in a Room’ was clearly a departure from the typical NTP aesthetic, situating Medard’s drum-programming wizardry and signature basslines beneath Arndt’s more ethereal creations. The result was arguably the album’s stand-out track, which “rather anomalously adds bass-heavy funkiness to the sparkling flow” (Textura).
In addition to releasing their debut EP From Here, For Anyone through Hidden Shoal (11th August, 2009), Down Review have submitted two tracks to the Sutemos net-label, one a remix of Leon Somov’s ‘Mano’ (featuring Jazzu), and a new track for the upcoming compilation Intelligent Toys 6.
News
Hidden Shoal in Textura’s Ten Favourite Labels of 2018 List!
Hidden Shoal is incredibly honoured to have been selected as one of Textura’s Ten Favourite Labels of 2018. Textura is, in our opinion, the premiere new music magazine and favourite of the label team for unearthing and exposing new and exciting new music. This is the second time Hidden Shoal has been selected in Textura’s best labels list and as always we are nestled against some other very special labels, all of who you should check out.Now for a very brief and unnecessary acceptance speech – we are nothing without our incredible roster of artists, who continually amaze, inspire and surprise us. Thank you all!
Continue reading →Medard Fischer ‘No Input’ – New Single and Music Video
We’re very excited to share the epic new single, ‘No Input’, from Medard Fischer (Arc Lab, Down Review). Check out the wonderful music video for the song on YouTube or stream it via SoundCloud. ‘No Input’ is cut from Fischer’s forthcoming album Lucky You which sees release on the 25th of May and is available for pre-order now via Bandcamp.On Lucky You, Medard Fischer’s creative process was influenced by his father’s struggle with cancer and tragic passing. While coming to terms with his loss, Fischer was intrigued by recent studies suggesting that more than two-thirds of cancerous mutations may be caused by random replication errors, and was inspired to explore how the implications of chance shape lives in both ordinary and profound ways. Taking its cues from generative music and sound collage, stochastic processes are central throughout Lucky You; they define timbres, melodies and entire song structures. Elements pop in and out like sparks, driven by random number generators, multi-tiered probability gates and feedback loops cycling through old electronics. Yet, despite its conceptual underpinning, Lucky You has immediate emotional resonance, befitting the circumstances that inspired it. Pieces shift from playful to contemplative and from hopeful to haunting – tracing contours of moments lived in the shadow of chance, by turns beautiful and tragic.
Medard Fischer’s music is available for licensing across film, tv, games, web and beyond. Contact us for more details.
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Eat Your Friends: A Hidden Shoal 10th Anniversary Compilation
Hidden Shoal is excited to end the celebration of its 10th year of existence with the new compilation album Eat Your Friends, comprising remixes and covers of Hidden Shoal artists, by Hidden Shoal artists. This freely downloadable album not only showcases the wealth of original music released through Hidden Shoal, but also the creative ingenuity and deft musical touch of the remixers and cover artists.From searing solar-flared adaptations to delicately reconstructed covers, deep space jam reworkings, and shimmering ambient tapestries, Eat Your Friends reimagines the Hidden Shoal discography in new and beautiful ways, playing to all the strengths of the roster’s dizzying array of talent.
Includes remixes and covers by: Antonymes, Arc Lab, Glanko, Wayne Harriss, Liminal Drifter, Makee, Chloe March, Markus Mehr, Erik Nilsson, REW<<, Slow Dancing Society, Tin Manzano, Willem Gator, and Zealous Chang of music by: Arc Lab, Brother Earth, Cheekbone, City of Satellites, Medard Fischer, Gilded, Glanko & Daniel Bailey, Kryshe, Memorybell, Erik Nilsson, perth, Slow Dancing Society, Tangled Star, Umpire, and Zealous Chang.
Eat Your Friends is available now as a free download via Bandcamp and is also streamable via SoundCloud. Listen and then throw yourself into the wormhole as you explore the originals and more work by the remixers and cover artists. For all the filmmakers, games designers and others in need of engaging music, don’t forget that all tracks in our catalogue are available for licensing (film, tv, games, compilations etc).
Continue reading →Hidden Shoal is 10!
Hidden Shoal is extremely excited to be celebrating its 10th birthday this month. It’s hard to believe that back in May 2006, Perth-based musicians Cam Merton, Stuart Medley and Malcolm Riddoch began Hidden Shoal Recordings as a means to put out releases by local artists. Tim Clarke, based in Melbourne, joined the team in 2007. Hidden Shoal has since gone on to become a much-loved independent label and publisher, releasing over 120 albums from a diverse range of international artists and licensing music from its catalogue across film, tv, web and compilation.Stay tuned for special anniversary announcements in the coming months!
Continue reading →Hidden Shoal Turns Six!
Throughout the month of May 2012, Hidden Shoal Recordings is celebrating its sixth birthday. Later in the month will be the release of the latest free sampler album, Triangulating Nature, which compiles 12 singles released over the last 12 months. Other delicious surprises will be revealed in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for more info.Since starting up in Perth, Western Australia in 2006, Hidden Shoal has developed an enviable roster of genre-defying global and local recording artists. With 40+ acts from 10+ different countries, ranging from British ambient artist Antonymes through to American musical experimentalist Todd Tobias and beyond, the committed team at Hidden Shoal continues to play an integral role in promoting exciting new independent music.
Come join us and keep an eye on the Hidden Shoal Store for lots of cool special birthday deals!
Continue reading →2009: A Million Square Miles
As part of our 5th birthday celebrations, we’ll be looking back at the history of Hidden Shoal, year by year, casting some light on artists and releases that may have been overlooked. For one week, all releases covered below will be available from the Hidden Shoal Store with a 30% discount. Flavoursome!In 2009, Hidden Shoal continued to release stunning music from around the world, including debut Hidden Shoal albums from Hotels, HC-B, Tarcutta, Sleeping Me, City Of Satellites and Elisa Luu, sophomore albums from Jumpel and Wes Willenbring, a third album from Sankt Otten, and EPs from Stray Ghost and Down Review (a new collaboration between Arc Lab’s Medard Fischer and Near The Parenthesis’ Tim Arndt).
2009 was also notable for the release of our compilation album A Million Square Miles, a project endeavouring to showcase Western Australian talent to the US (the titular million square miles). After more than three years of sharing independent music far and wide, A Million Square Miles represented a key facet of the Hidden Shoal Recordings story. The album brings together a pair of tracks from each of the then eight WA-based artists on the Hidden Shoal roster: Mukaizake, Apricot Rail, Fall Electric, Glassacre, Toby Richardson, My Majestic Star, The Slow Beings and Tangled Star.
2009 also saw Hidden Shoal join forces with The Caribbean and Scott Solter in a single EP. This not only began a special relationship with the wonderful The Caribbean and created an ongoing avenue for them to release some of their more experimental offerings, but it also began the label’s relationship with Scott Solter, which eventually led us to Boxharp (Scott Solter and Wendy Allen).
HSR046: Jumpel Deuxieme Bureau
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HSR047: Hotels Where Hearts Go Broke
HSR048: HC-B Soundcheck For A Missing Movie
HSR049: The Caribbean Scott Solter Re-Populates The Caribbean EP
HSR050: Sleeping Me Cradlesongs
HSR051: Tarcutta Tarcutta
HSR052: Tangled Star That Time EP
HSR053: Apricot Rail Apricot Rail
HSR054: Down Review From Here, For Anyone EP
HSR055: Sankt Otten Morgen Wieder Lustig
HSR056: Elisa Luu Chromatic Sigh
HSR057: Various artists A Million Square Miles
HSR058: Wes Willenbring Close, But Not Too Close
HSR059: Stray Ghost Each Paradise Is A Lost Paradise EP
HSR060: Mukaizake Unknown Knowns
HSR061: City Of Satellites Machine Is My AnimalExclusive Hidden Shoal Mix at Headphone Commute
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Head over to the wonderful Headphone Commute and check out this exclusive Hidden Shoal mix. The mix features 16 tracks lovingly curated and sequenced from the Hidden Shoal catalogue by the label’s manager Cam Merton. Stream, download, enjoy!Hidden Shoal Label Feature at Breakthru Radio
Check out the latest edition of the wonderful Inside The Label show at New York’s awesome Breakthru Radio (home of the mighty DJ Mojo!). The show features an hour of tracks selected from across the Hidden Shoal catalogue. Lurvly!
Continue reading →Down Review "From Here, For Anyone" reviewed on Adequacy.net
Down Review’s latest release, From Here, For Anyone, has been reviewed on the brilliant review site Adequacy. Read the review here, or read an excerpt at the artists’ reviews section. This very awesome EP is available at the Hidden Shoal Store.Down Review – Anything is Everything Down Review – Anything is Everything
Continue reading →Down Review "From Here For Anyone" an Igloo Magazine Top 7
Down Review’s EP, From Here, For Anyone, has made Igloo Magazine’s Top Seven EPs of 2009! All the tracks on the Top 2009 lists will be featured on the radio show Digital Nimbus on KUCI. For more Down Review check out DJ Steve Brown’s After Hours Reunion Show.Down Review – From Here, For Anyone Down Review – From Here, For Anyone
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Reviews
Down Review "From Here For Anyone" – Some Lost, Some Found
Excerpt: “Copious layers of soothing electronic elements blip, bloop, and glitch their way to an EP of mellow chilled out music…an almost perfect example of how to create an intelligent EP showcasing what can be done with a minimalist approach to the electronica genre.”
Continue reading →Down Review "From Here, For Anyone" – Adequacy.net
Excerpt: “The four tracks on the EP are a dense swirl of multi-textured electronic soundscapes that develop tunefully with mellow and warm melodies, crisp rhythm blips and playful clicks and pops. The duo mix and manipulate sounds into a soothing atmosphere of instrumental electronic songs… The impressionistic compositions don’t stray too far into the nebulous atmosphere but stay grounded with gently rolling drums, dynamic rhythms, periodic waves of buoyant keyboards and bright, celestial guitar leads.”
Continue reading →Down Review "From Here, For Anyone" – PopMatters
“It’s difficult to listen to Down Review’s debut instrumental EP, From Here, For Anyone, without being reminded of early Broken Social Scene. It’s not as if these guys are offshoots from the Toronto indie collective or anything. Rather, the EP manages to mesmerize and mesh trippy guitar loops with defiant electronic beats in an immensely contagious manner. Broken Social Scene mastered this art, and don’t be surprised if Down Review soon attain as much hype. Four tracks and 23 minutes in length, From here, For Anyone rattles as much as it hums. It prods the subconscious with an array of sounds at once. For those who find Four Tet’s stuff a little tough on the melodies, you should know Down Review manages to escape that fate with an EP rich with color and promise.”
Continue reading →Down Review "From Here, For Anyone" Textura
Excerpt: “The EP’s material can be characterized as wide-screen, richly-textured electro-acoustic sound design underlaid by laid-back rhythms inflected with subtle shadings of funk and hip-hop. Commendably, Down Review opts for understated elegance, with the duo recognizing that the song’s twilight ambiance is all the more effective when delivered with restraint.One expects that it’s only a matter of time before a full album’s worth of Down Review material sees the light of day.”
Continue reading →Down Review "From Here For Anyone" – Leonard's Lair
Excerpt: “[Down Review] deliver further proof that it’s possible to make beautiful music without ever being in the same room together. Beginning with the deliciously comforting sounds of ‘Anything Is Everything’, the scene is set for some lovely, warm instrumental music. Luddites will profess that the Internet is killing music but ‘From Here, For Anyone’ shows that bringing together talents via computers and wires is something to celebrate. Especially so when they produce electronica featuring such distinctly human qualities.”
Continue reading →Down Review "From Here For Anyone" – Cyclic Defrost
Excerpt: “This four track EP opens with variations of melodic chords soaking the upper register, and combines pristine drum and synth programming. It is quite obvious that the form is predominantly electronic, yet it has all the hallmarks of post-rock sensibility and sonic attunement. ‘Archive’ clothes itself in manipulated crowd samples before launching into a layered drum, synth and bass combination. ‘Always Enough’ weaves bright tones, dub sensibility and chopped up samples in highly wrought simplicity. ‘All In’ closes the album, playing with an almost anthemic extended chord, a hybrid drum beat and chirping bright synth which builds to dominate before dissolving quickly. It is a sharp finish, but the ride is quite exhilarating.”
Continue reading →Down Review "Anything is Everything" – Luna Kafé
Excerpt: “‘Anything Is Everything’ is a slow digital drizzle, a crisp’n’sparkling piece. Electronic drums, glowing synths and purring bass-lines glide slowly through the city lights, the city night. It’s a drifting, sweeping loop-track, soothing and relieving, and a very pleasant piece of music.”
Continue reading →Down Review 'Anything is Everything' – Losing Today
Excerpt: “Okay its gorgeous, in fact frankly its sublime… A beautifully snoozing dream woven treasure that had us here recalling in an instant the likes of Gnac, Landshipping and Boards of Canada, all crunchy beats, heart caressing tenderised electronic symphonic swathes applied with wide screen aspects and serviced with that kind of majestically forlorn bitter sweetness that was once the sole remit of godspeed you black emperor and touchingly daubed in frost tipped baubles of orbiting opines all mellowed magically into a tempting tapestry that to these much humbled ears had us imagining a particularly chilled Faltermayer cosying up to Manual for a spot of reclined star watching. A gem.”
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Artist Photos
Music Videos
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Licensing
Down Review’s music is available for licensing (master & sync cleared) through Hidden Shoal. Please contact us with some basic details about your project and the track(s) you wish to use and we’ll be sure to get back to you straight away.