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BIBIO
Silver Wilkinson

Stephen Wilkinson seems to occupy his own universe. Using his home studio, the producer is able to craft warped, woozy nuggets of electronic pop music which seem to break rules you hadn’t even considered were capable of being broken. 2011′s full length Mind Bokeh was a fantastic return, and since then Bibio has been busy performing live and playing with his near infinite supply of gadgets. Now the producer is ready to return, with new album Silver Wilkinson: filled with eastern harmonies and highlife influenced guitar lines, this is a wonderful piece of oddball sunshine pop.

ARTIST: Bibio
TITLE: Silver Wilkinson
LABEL: Warp
RELEASE DATE: May 14, 2013
TIME: 48:59 min.
WEB: http://warp.net/records/bibio
PURCHASE: price – 9.99$

01. The First Daffodils [02:57]
02. Dye the Water Green [05:26]
03. Wulf [02:10]
04. Mirroring All [05:39]
05. À Tout à l’Heure [04:10]
06. Sycamore Silhouetting [03:17]
07. You [05:29]
08. Raincoat [04:09]
09. Look at Orion! [07:38]
10. Business Park [05:00]
11. You Won’t Remember… [03:04]

PREVIEW: Bibio – The First Daffodils

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VONDELPARK
Seabed

Someone was waylaying Vondelpark. Seabed took a bit longer to arrive than hoped but after the early guessing games, and two excellent EPs, their debut is the “coming of age” the band hoped it to be. Striking a balance between the restless lo-fi drench of Sauna, and the dreamy textures that emerged on NYC Stuff and NYC Bags, this is a beautifully blissed-out record, coloured by minimal rhythms and Lewis Rainsbury’s isolated vocals. A sighing R&B-infused beauty that submerges your yearning sense of escape in a gossamer haze.

ARTIST: Vondelpark
TITLE: Seabed
LABEL: R&S / Redeye
RELEASE DATE: April 2, 2013
TIME: 46:59 min.
WEB: http://vondelparkmusic.com/
PURCHASE: price – 9.99$

01. Quest [03:36]
02. Blue Again [05:10]
03. Dracula [04:38]
04. Come On [04:59]
05. Always Forever [02:53]
06. California Analog Dream [05:53]
07. Closer [04:37]
08. Seabed [05:37]
09. Bananas (on my biceps) [04:07]
10. Outro (for ariel) [05:29]

PREVIEW: Vondelpark – Dracula

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VECTOR LOVERS
iPhonica

Here inside the apps and tablets hi-tech era, it’s kinda strange seeing Martin Wheeler pull out one of the earliest iOS DAW‘s to craft his latest album, while finding ways to fill the gaps in time waiting for trains or sitting in coffee shops. There is almost an interesting tangent to the acoustic performance within iPhonica: rather than being stripped back to electric free instruments, it is an environment with minimal VSTi’s and all toys of the trade made unavailable. In this situation only true musicality can shine through with no tricks or plugins to hide behind. At the end of it all you have to ask if it is a good album, or whether it is a good album considering the restraints of technology. Everything should, in our opinion, be judged on the former, and Vector Lovers‘ iPhonica doesn’t fail to deliver.

ARTIST: Vector Lovers
TITLE: iPhonica
LABEL: Soma
RELEASE DATE: March 25, 2013
TIME: 1:08:49 min.
WEB: http://www.vector-lovers.com/
PURCHASE: price – 9.99$

01. Nakadori [04:39]
02. Warm Launderette [04:10]
03. On Kastanienallee [04:03]
04. Simulant [04:53]
05. Stargazing [05:43]
06. Monologue [04:56]
07. Replicator [06:11]
08. Yesterday Is Gone [04:26]
09. Reception [03:27]
10. Vigil [03:46]
11. Clandestine [03:27]
12. Big City Loner [03:52]
13. Patience [03:39]
14. Final Wish [05:03]
15. Senter to Knowhere [03:42]
16. Let’s Go Home [02:52]

PREVIEW: Vector Lovers – Simulant

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ÓLAFUR ARNALDS
For Now I Am Winter

The major label debut of Icelandic composer Ólafur Arnalds features 12 original breathtaking surreal tracks. On this album, composer Nico Muhly provided orchestral arrangements, and for the first time Arnalds introduces vocals to his soundworld. Icelandic singer Arnor Dan can be heard on four tracks. The concept of evolution and seasonal change is one which has been ever-present in Ólafur music: here on For Now I Am Winter it continues both musically and conceptually into a personal evolution as a composer and, for the first time, as a songwriter. Purveying a neo-classical style with an array of influences which range from electronica to minimalism, Ólafur Arnalds proves himself to be an artist who draws from a variety of sources whilst maintaining his own unique sound.

ARTIST: Ólafur Arnalds
TITLE: For Now I Am Winter
LABEL: Mercury
RELEASE DATE: April 2, 2013
TIME: 52:28 min.
WEB: http://olafurarnalds.com/
PURCHASE: price – 12.99$/a>

01. Sudden Throw [03:17]
02. Brim [04:43]
03. For Now I Am Winter [05:05]
04. A Stutter [05:09]
05. Words of Amber [03:23]
06. Reclaim [04:01]
07. Hands, Be Still [03:40]
08. Only the Winds [05:21]
09. Old Skin [04:09]
10. Wee (too) Shall Rest [02:06]
11. This Place Was a Shelter [03:51]
12. Carry Me Anew [03:25]
13. No. Other [04:18]

PREVIEW: Ólafur Arnalds – Brim

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APPARAT
Krieg und Frieden (music for theatre)

In order to fully enjoy Krieg und Frieden, all you need is a pair of noise-cancelling headphones and a scene. Any scene will do, really. It could be as simple as watching people wait for transit, or perhaps staring thoughtful outside your window. Where you choose to observe is irrelevant, but don’t skimp out on the headphones. You want the full power and effect of Apparat‘s 10th album, created initially for a stage production of Tolstoy’s Krieg und Frieden (War and Peace). Music for Theatre can transform any everyday mundane occurrence into something full of tension and mystery. That is the power of a good score and this is a great soundtrack for film, theatre or your life.

ARTIST: Apparat
TITLE: Krieg und Frieden (music for theatre)
LABEL: EMI
RELEASE DATE: February 18, 2013
TIME: 43:05 min.
WEB: http://www.apparat.net/
PURCHASE: price – 9.49$

01. 44 [02:38]
02. 44 (noise version) [05:23]
03. Lighton [05:23]
04. Tod [02:47]
05. Blank Page [04:40]
06. PV [06:46]
07. K&F Thema (pizzicato) [03:12]
08. K&F Thema [04:19]
09. Austerlitz [03:22]
10. A Violent Sky [05:11]

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DIVE
No Soul

Dive is Fabian Tombers, from Cologne. Dive is the newest entry in the glitch electronic and dream pop scene. Dive shakes. And he does with No Soul: a chillwave heaven, a summer beat-driven soundtrack full of ambiance sentimental landscapes painted in orange, a soft orgy of noisy and colorful beats.

ARTIST: Dive
TITLE: No Soul
LABEL: Waking Ghosts
RELEASE DATE: November 15, 2012
TIME: 31:29 min.
WEB: http://divemusic.bandcamp.com/
PURCHASE: special offer – FREE DOWNLOAD!

01. Lindisfarne (James Blake remix) [04:02]
02. Seven Chimes [03:03]
03. C10H12N2O [01:31]
04. Capetown [03:36]
05. Cloudy [02:33]
06. C8H11N [03:03]
07. Nebelweg [05:55]
08. Wrong (DrDr remix) [04:05]
09. No Soul [03:41]

Dive – Capetown

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NOSAJ THING
Home

It’s been three years since the release of Nosaj Thing‘s highly acclaimed debut album, Drift, and now it’s time to mark a new chapter for the 27-year-old producer, musician and DJ from Los Angeles. With a new album, label and imprint for Innovative Leisure, Home marks the first time Nosaj Thing has incorporated guest vocalists. Having remixed and worked with the likes of The XX, Flying Lotus, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Beck and Kendrick Lamar, it was time to incorporate a few collaborations of his own with Toro Y Moi and Kazu Makino (Blonde Redhead) providing ethereal vocals for two of the tracks on Home. The rest of the album is rounded with Nosaj’s signature cinematic soundscapes that explore the space from where Drift left off. The year has just started, but one place in the best-of future charts is already taken.

ARTIST: Nosaj Thing
TITLE: Home
LABEL: Innovative Leisure
RELEASE DATE: January 22, 2013
TIME: 36:39 min.
WEB: http://www.nosajthing.com/
PURCHASE: special offer – ONLY 7.49$

01. Home [02:40]
02. Eclipse / Blue [04:29]
03. Safe [03:49]
04. Glue [04:18]
05. Distance [03:17]
06. Tell [02:50]
07. Snap [03:26]
08. Prelude [01:41]
09. Try [04:03]
10. Phase III [03:23]
11. Light #3 [02:43]

Nosaj Thing (feat. Kazu Makino) – Eclipse / Blue

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ARCHIVE
Demos and Tracks from the Archives 2

A stunning piece of art for collectors. A brand new compilation made of ten previously unreleased tracks and demos emerged from (forgive us for the calambour) Archive‘s archives. Demos and Tracks from the Archives 2: no title could be more self-explanatory.
Keep the secret, and enjoy.

ARTIST: Archive
TITLE: Demos and Tracks from the Archives 2
LABEL: Archives 2
RELEASE DATE: December 22, 2012
TIME: 56:38 min.
WEB: http://archiveofficial.com/
PURCHASE: pre-order

01. I Will Find [08:00]
02. You Make Me Feel (demo) [04:05]
03. Cloud in the Sky [05:22]
04. So Sad [04:25]
05. Harpsichord Song (demo) [04:46]
06. Say Nothing [05:03]
07. Organ Reprise (demo) [09:45]
08. Love in Summer (demo) [04:04]
09. Distorted Roads [03:29]
10. I Will Find (reprise) [07:39]

Archive – Say Nothing

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EMERALDS
Just to Feel Anything

Comprised of Mark McGuire, John Elliott and Steve Hauschildt, the Cleveland-based trio have been performing under the Emeralds name since 2006, racking up a staggering number of recordings. Combining the thick drones and arpeggiated sequences of Elliott and Hauschildt with the intricate guitar work of McGuire, their music channels the likes of Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze and preceded much of the current wave of kosmische revivalists. Following the release of their highest profile release to date, Does It Look Like I’m Here?, the group have been fairly quiet as a unit, concentrating on solo endeavours: Elliott has been running the prolific Editions Mego sublabel Spectrum Spools, while McGuire and Hauschildt have both been working on solo material. However, their collective silence will be broken with the release of their second album, Just to Feel Anything, which sees the group strike a chord between their familiar sound and moving their signature sound forwards, providing a fast-paced excursion into new territory, mounting layers of brightly strummed guitar chords blossom into a storm of color and expertly crafted textures.

ARTIST: Emeralds
TITLE: Just to Feel Anything
LABEL: Editions Mego
RELEASE DATE: November 2, 2012
TIME: 42:16 min.
WEB: http://editionsmego.com/artist/emeralds
PURCHASE: http://www.amazon.com/

01. Before Your Eyes [04:05]
02. Adenochrome [06:11]
03. Through & Through [04:40]
04. Everything Is Inverted [06:35]
05. The Loser Keeps America Clean [03:40]
06. Gros-Bon-Age [01:44]
07. White Infinity [04:21]
08. Pegasus [05:51]

Emeralds – Adenochrome

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ACORN FALLING
Cabinet of Curiosities

Acorn Falling started in the winter 2009 by Lars Kivig. Initially it was thought as Lars’ solo project, but the creativity and ideas was evolving fast and he wanted new elements and instruments in the quickly growing track base. They say great things come to those who wait, and now we can proudly present the amazing and ambitious dark instrumental debut album from Acorn Falling, Cabinet of Curiosities, featuring members from Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (Thomas Wydler) and Current 93 (John Contreras). Experimental sound scapes with ambient, noise and electro-acoustic tendencies. A vibing desolate, but darly beautiful exploration of musical noise.

ARTIST: Acorn Falling
TITLE: Cabinet of Curiosities
LABEL: Vicious
RELEASE DATE: October 17, 2011
TIME: 39:59 min.
WEB: http://www.acornfalling.com/
PURCHASE: http://www.amazon.com/

01. Thermal Climb [04:18]
02. The Master Dive [06:26]
03. Reaching for Stars [05:23]
04. Coherence Abnormal [03:04]
05. Metachild Awakes [05:18]
06. Shattering Surface [04:27]
07. Lullaby for Saplings [05:05]
08. Sunrise [06:58]

Acorn Falling – Shattering Surface

removed by request

DEAD CAN DANCE
Anastasis

On the cover of Anastasis, Dead Can Dance’s first album in 16 years, there is a field of sunflowers, ripened, and then blackened, by the sun, standing with sad, slightly crowned heads. Less dead than dormant, the heads and stems will one day be chopped, but then via the roots, will return. Anastasis is the Greek word for “resurrection” and that means, that, maybe, the seemingly dead will dance again.

ARTIST: Dead Can Dance
TITLE: Anastasis
LABEL: PIAS
RELEASE DATE: August 14, 2012
TIME: 56:11 min.
WEB: http://www.deadcandance.com/
PURCHASE: http://www.amazon.com/

01. Children of the Sun [07:33]
02. Anabasis [06:51]
03. Agape [06:54]
04. Amnesia [06:37]
05. Kiko [08:02]
06. Opium [05:45]
07. Return of the She-King [07:51]
08. All In Good Time [06:38]

Dead Can Dance – Opium

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INDIAN WELLS
Night Drops

Italian downtempo beatmaker Indian Wells smashes the dubstep target with eight shuffling, atmospheric bass tunes in the form of his debut record, called Night Drops, an album about electronica, mystery and tennis. The title track roots the producer’s scatterbrained, ephemeral loops in deep kicks, light clicks, and swelling waves of warm synth tones. It all creates an atmosphere that is as relaxed and pensive as it is melancholy, a sound that you can continue to indulge in by checking out the rest of Indian Wells‘ new release, after the jump.

ARTIST: Indian Wells
TITLE: Night Drops
LABEL: Bad Panda
RELEASE DATE: September 21, 2012
TIME: 37:36 min.
WEB: http://indianwells.bandcamp.com/
PURCHASE: http://www.amazon.com/

01. Wimbledon 1980 [05:39]
02. In the Streets [03:36]
03. Golden Shoes [04:09]
04. Deuce [05:10]
05. Love Frequencies [04:10]
06. Night Drops [04:35]
07. After the Match [04:53]
08. South Beach [04:38]

Indian Wells – Deuce

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MKAIO
A Far Off Horizon

Mkaio (a.k.a. Matthew Kammerer) is an independent artist, where “independent” means he’s doing everything himself, where “everything” means everything. And he’s doing it well.
Yes, because Mkaio‘s music does not conform to any style or convention, but rather plays on audio archetypes & expectations, fusing field recordings, acoustic performances, electronic elements & engineering occassionally with vocals and lyrics. A Far Off Horizon is his debut album, an electronic jewel entirely composed, recorded and produced in his bedroom, but escaping to real wider atmospheres then four simple walls. This record is dedicated to Matthew’s best friend, Jennifer Perkins, who he lost to an aggressive and rare form of neuroendocrine cancer: the final three track on the album compose the Suite for Jen, and they contain the first music Mkaio began writing for this record and are the heart of the album.
A warm, cosy and beautiful heart.

ARTIST: Mkaio
TITLE: A Far Off Horizon
LABEL: self-released
RELEASE DATE: June 12, 2012
TIME: 78:04 min.
WEB: http://www.mkaio.com/
PURCHASE: http://www.amazon.com/

01. A Far Off Horizon [03:42]
02. The First Kiss [04:44]
03. The Gold Was On You [04:51]
04. Light at the End [06:13]
05. Hold On But Not For Me [04:05]
06. Tried & True [06:30]
07. Summer Heart [04:54]
08. All Night [04:11]
09. Fall For You [03:43]
10. Naked in the Moonlight [05:24]
11. Brush of the Cheek [03:20]
12. Maui [02:30]
13. Is This Love? [03:45]

14. A Prelude [02:52]
15. Sunsets [05:41]
16. Adagio for Jen [11:39]

Mkaio – Tried & True
Mkaio – All Night

removed by request

TEENGIRL FANTASY
Tracer

Second album for Teengirl Fantasy: Tracer is experimental ambience that sounds dreamy and catchy. The layered pop samples from their debut LP 7AM are absent, but the duo still builds from the past, sculpting something both innovative and vaguely familiar. Logan Takahashi and Nick Weiss produce material indebted to R&B moving and extending to dance floor jams: your ears should thank them.

ARTIST: Teengirl Fantasy
TITLE: Tracer
LABEL: True Panther Sounds
RELEASE DATE: August 21, 2012
TIME: 39:40 min.
WEB: http://www.myspace.com/teengirlfantasy
PURCHASE: http://www.amazon.com/

01. Orbit [03:14]
02. EFX [03:40]
03. Eternal [04:27]
04. Pyjama [03:34]
05. Mist of Time [03:06]
06. End [04:08]
07. Vector Spray [04:04]
08. Inca [03:37]
09. Do It [04:37]
10. Timeline [05:20]

Teengirl Fantasy – End

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ECHO LAKE
Wild Peace

Debut album from the British duo Echo Lake: Wild Peace is a considered, singular work brashly proving right all the hype. Marrying Thom Hill‘s huge, dense production style with countless interweaving layers of Linda Jarvis‘ emotive and cavernous voice, the tracks seem to float like the densest of mirages, maintaining a majestic indie-rock classicism.
A uniquely direct and committed take on the melodic side of psychedelia’s pop frontier.

ARTIST: Echo Lake
TITLE: Wild Peace
LABEL: Slumberland
RELEASE DATE: June 26, 2012
TIME: 41:54 min.
WEB: http://echolakeband.com/
PURCHASE: http://www.amazon.com/

01. Another Day [04:21]
02. Breathe Deep [03:53]
03. Wild Peace [04:15]
04. Even the Blind [05:07]
05. Monday 5AM [03:01]
06. Young Silence [02:10]
07. In Dreams [03:54]
08. Last Song of the Year [04:09]
09. Swimmers [04:08]
10. Just Kids [06:56]

Echo Lake – In Dreams

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ASC
Out of Sync

One might wonder about the past two years of drum’n’bass wunderkind and Autonomic regular ASC’s career: after dropping his would-be crowning achievement, Nothing Is Certain, in 2010, perhaps the most significant brick in the d’n’b canon since dBridge and Instru:mental’s Fabriclive 50 mix, James Clements hucked himself off the reservation. Figuratively and literally. Well, maybe it’s not all that melodramatic, but he did finally drop the beat-oriented pretenses last year to release an ambient record titled The Light That Burns Twice as Bright, he also found time to drop an EP on the UK’s foremost industrial techno label, Perc Trax, earlier this year, and now there’s Out of Sync. One might wonder about what this new release might mean for ASC. Is this just a stop off like The Light That Burns Twice as Bright seemed to be? Is ASC shaking his tail feathers at what’s expected of him after Nothing Is Certain? These questions may perhaps be a little sensational, and the answer can’t be so dramatic: it might not even matter. Clements’ ties to Autonomic have put a youthful spin on his career, but ASC has been going strong for more than a decade. And Out of Sync feels like an album delivered by a producer long in the tooth enough to follow whatever might be of interest at the immediate moment. Thankfully, the results are more than worthwhile.

ARTIST: ASC
TITLE: Out of Sync
LABEL: Samurai Red Seal
RELEASE DATE: June 18, 2012
TIME: 64:41 min.
WEB: http://theasc.blogspot.it/

01. Spheres [05:20]
02. Glass Walls [04:38]
03. Oneironaut [06:32]
04. No Love Lost [05:22]
05. Disintegrate [02:43]
06. Talisman [04:55]
07. A Song for Hope [04:43]
08. Prometheus [04:57]
09. Blurred Pictures [05:42]
10. Stay True [04:32]
11. Plume [15:17]

ASC – Glass Walls

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