Hidden Shoal News
Slow Dancing Society in Textura's Best of 2008
Slow Dancing Society’s glorious third album, Priest Lake Circa ’88, is one of Textura’s honourable mentions in their best of 2008 list. This means that all of SDS’s full-length releases have made their way onto various ‘best of’ lists in their year of release! To buy these stunning albums on CD or mp3, visit the SDS page at the HSR Store.
Slow Dancing Society A Warm Glow Slow Dancing Society – A Warm Glow
Hidden Shoal's 4th Free Label Sampler Album Released
Hidden Shoal Recordings today announced the release of East-West Section, the fourth volume in the label’s free sampler album series, compiling tracks from recently released albums and EPs.
East-West Section is like a knife with ears – an audible slice through Hidden Shoal’s 2008 releases. But no blood! We’ve stitched these killer tracks into a brand new tapestry… From the delicate ambient murmur of RL/VL to the avant-pop mastery of Iretsu; the lush lounge-jazz of Rich Bennett to the sublime ambient rock of City Of Satellites; the charming electro-pop of Ghost In The Water to the addictive indie-rock of Fall Electric and The Slow Beings; and acclaimed Hidden Shoal mainstays My Majestic Star, Sankt Otten and Slow Dancing Society. This is an irresistible showcase of the breadth and depth of the Hidden Shoal catalogue.
“Hidden Shoal Recordings is on a mission. The Australian label is busy enhancing minds, widening musical consciousness, opening ears, and taking us beyond the sometimes all too comfortably familiar” – Blogcritics
“a gripping, adventurous and touching journey across their catalogue of ambient, shoegaze, post-rock and indie-rock releases. The perfect introduction for the artists and bands, or alternatively, the perfect sampler for those who cannot decide which of these fantastic bands to pay attention to at the moment” – Post Rock Community review of Limit Of Maps, volume 3 in the free sampler album series
East-West Section is now available for free digital download from the HSR Store. Read a full press release here.
The 2008 Hidden Shoal Xmas Party – It's Almost Time!
Yes folks it’s almost time for the 2008 Hidden Shoal Christmas Party, presented by wonderful team at Aperture. The event will be held on Friday 19th December at the Bakery in Perth and features a stunning line-up of bands: Enargeia, My Majestic Star, The Slow Beings, Fall Electric, Apricot Rail and Toby Richardson and The Surround Sound. The night will also include artwork by visual artists Nicola Kaye, Stephen Terry, Uriah Mathews, James Stillitoe, Sam Landels and Stuart Medley, video greetings from our international artists, and delicious selections from the Hidden Shoal catalogue played throughout the night.
We can also announce a very special closing set from experimental electronic acousmatitians Enargeia. The duo will perform “Hidden Shoal Redux”, a Stockhausen inspired Hymnen to the HSR sound using their colleagues own recordings as source material for an exploration in sonic chaos.
The party is also the celebration of the release of the new volume in our free sampler album series, East-West Section, which will be available for free download on the night. To anyone attending, bring along your thumb drive or USB stick to be the first to download the album! East-West Section will then be available through the HSR Store.
This event will be suitably HUGE! Be there or become the rhomboid you always feared you might.
New Jumpel Single Released, Free Download Available
Hidden Shoal Recordings today announced the release of ‘Quicken Belts’ by German minimal electro maestro Jumpel, the first single to be taken from his forthcoming sophomore album Deuxième Bureau.
‘Quicken Belts’ is another gorgeously crafted piece from Jumpel, weaving beautifully delicate sounds into an immersive, deeply affecting miniature. Rhodes piano, marimba and rustling rhythms bounce amiably against the sounds of neon fireflies, tiny springs, and electrical flickering, before they are submerged in a pond of metallic particles. The sounds reappear, nudged into order by a crisp electro snare crack, then the track dissolves into the ether with a few wistful piano motifs.
“Jumpel brings a wealth of musical and life experience to this meticulously crafted debut album… intimate despite its broad spectrum of instrumental colour and occasional cinematic ambiance” – Textura on the debut Jumpel album Samuel Jason Lies On The Beach
The single and accompanying music video are available for free download from the HSR Store until the release of the album Deuxième Bureau on January 27th, 2009. Jumpel’s debut album Samuel Jason Lies On The Beach is also available in digital format through Hidden Shoal Recordings. Check the HSR Store for all availability and distribution information.
A full press release is also available here.
Jumpel – Quicken Belts Jumpel – Quicken Belts
The Slow Beings in RTRfm's Homegrown Top 10
The Slow Beings’ We Know Why The Earth Moves is in another Top 10 list of the best releases of the year, this time for the RTRfm Homegrown show. If you haven’t already downloaded the album, you can get a free taste of The Slow Beings’ second single, ‘Nil By Rote‘, from the HSR Store.
The Slow Beings Nil By Rote The Slow Beings – Nil By Rote
City Of Satellites and Sankt Otten Reviewed on Losing Today
City Of Satellites’ The Spook EP and Sankt Otten’s new single ‘Tiefgang (Kurzfassung)‘, from their album Eine Kleine Traurigkeit, have just received excellent reviews on indie music e-zine Losing Today. The COS review is here, and the Sankt review is here (you need to scroll down to find ’em…); or, visit the respective artists‘ reviews sections to read excerpts.
‘Tiefgang (Kurzfassung)‘ is available for free download for a limited time, and the Tiefgang EP, featuring four previously unreleased tracks, is available on CD and mp3 from the HSR Store.
Sankt Otten Tiefgang (Kurzfassung) Sankt Otten – Tiefgang (Kurzfassung)
City Of Satellites and Fall Electric Reviewed on Luna Kafe
City Of Satellites’ single ‘Moon In The Sea’, taken from their debut EP The Spook, and Fall Electric’s debut album Measure And Step have both received glowing reviews from Norwegian e-zine Luna Kafe. Visit the Kafe to read the reviews in full, or visit the respective artists‘ reviews sections for excerpts.
City Of Satellites Moon In The Sea City Of Satellites – Moon In The Sea
The Slow Beings and Rich Bennett in RTRfm Top 10s of 2008
The Slow Beings’ We Know Why The Earth Moves and Rich Bennett’s Music For Underwater Supermarkets have both made it into Out To Lunch presenters’ lists of the Top 10 releases of 2008. Andrew Ryan placed The Slow Beings at #2 while Sarah Tout placed Rich Bennett at #10. Visit the Out To Lunch page to stream these shows in full.
And don’t forget that the latest Slow Beings single, ‘Nil By Rote‘, is currently available for free download from the HSR Store.
The Slow Beings Nil By Rote The Slow Beings – Nil By Rote
New Tangled Star EP Due in April 2009
Tangled Star, alt-country troubadours extraordinaire, are currently working on a new EP, due for release in April 2009. Let’s hand you over to the band’s very own inimitable wordsmith, Craig Hallsworth:
“Tangled Star have started work on a new EP – ‘Pictures of Lefty’, ‘I Had Something Good In My Life And I Didn’t Want To Lose It’, ‘seabirdtown’, plus a mystery forth track. This recording will feature real drums, loud guitars and synthesizer, more up tempos … it will be like a Baudrillardian ecstatic version of the group – more Tangled Star than Tangled Star. Possible EP titles so far include Atmospheric Justice and 99% OK.”
So there you have it! In other Tangled Star news, their last EP, the enchanting Our Man In Eden Hill, will be available on CD in January. If you haven’t yet bathed in the dust and liquor soaked goodness that is Our Man In Eden Hill then why not download Hidden Shoals third free label sampler album Limit Of Maps where you’ll find a gorgeous track from the EP.
Tangled Star The Skaters Tangled Star – The Skaters
RL/VL Album Reviewed on Blogcritics
RL/VL’s ambient masterpiece Chagrin has just received a glowing (two-page!) review over at the excellent Blogcritics music site. Pop along to Blogcritics to read the review in full, or visit RL/VL’s reviews section to read an excerpt.
RL/VL Kweens RL/VL – Kweens
Hidden Shoal MixTape
