Hidden Shoal News
Glowing Brother Earth Reviews
We’ve just had some fantastic reviews land for Brother Earth‘s sublime new album Positive Haywires. Tomatrax and Velvet Independent have both weighed in on the albums goodness and Luna Kafe recently loved up the single ‘Out Like a Lion’. Here’s a taste,
“This is a very brave release with a large range of ideas crammed into one album, however it is pulled off with dynamic flair. On top of the wierd and wonderful twists and turns is a beautiful journey with vivid soundscapes and a breathtaking spacey atmosphere!” – Tomatrax
” I – the listener – feel like a little lamb, eyeballing the big lion circling me while I’m standing in the middle of the green grass field. I’m terrified, yet I can’t wait to see what happens next. Strange feeling. Yes. It’s intense, spine-chilling, creepy, but, yet I simply have to know what’s up next… Cool, right? Cool song” – Luna Kafe
Head to Brother Earth’s Bandcamp and get yourself a copy of this wild and wonderful album.
“Deconstruction Manual” – Hidden Shoal Remix EP featuring Antonymes and Slow Dancing Society
Hidden Shoal is proud to announce the release of the new EP Deconstruction Manual featuring remixes of Hidden Shoal artists by Murdoch University Sound students. The EP is available as a free download via Hidden Shoal’s Bandcamp. Download the full press release here.
On Deconstruction Manual, three students of Perth’s Murdoch University have taken the work of Hidden Shoal artists and subjected it to deconstruction, manipulation and glorious reinterpretation. The project is an ongoing collaboration between Hidden Shoal and the Murdoch University Sound Program, and the three remixes collected on this EP represent some of the diverse, innovative work produced by students of the course. Dr Simon Order, Chair of the Murdoch Sound Program, says of the project “Remix is such a powerful activity which fires up the imagination. These fabulous tracks bear witness to the creative energy of Murdoch Sound students.”
Skybreaker’s remix of Slow Dancing Society’s ‘I’ll Leave A Light On’ throws the original into an industrial thresher, transforming its calming piano and nylon-string guitar into a juddering nightmare of synths and snarl. Karl Ockelford’s ‘Greylands’ renders source audio from Antonymes, Boxharp, Gilded and Salli Lunn into an expansive, glowering horizon of drones, strings and distortion. Finally, Lövmark’s reworking of Antonymes’ ‘Doubt’ immerses Jan Van Den Broek’s monologue within patient, melodically rich minimal electronica.
Skybreaker is the moniker of Hadyn Lander, a versatile multi-instrumentalist and game designer whose influences range wildly from ’60s jazz-rock to modern electronica. Karl Ockelford is a musician and visual artist who has been working in and around the Perth experimental music scene for the past 15 years as part of Sub Ordnance and Abe Sada, and also releases music under the moniker Reluctant Carnivore. Lövmark is an electronic music producer hailing from Northern Sweden, now based in Fremantle, whose influences range from heavy metal to down-tempo bass music.
Kryshe and Involved Featured on Fade To Yellow
The wonderful Fade To Yellow radio show hosted by Tam Laird on Koop 91.7FM has just featured new music from Kryshe and Involved on its latest episode along with beautiful new tunes from Anjou, This Will Destroy You and Dryft. Head to the show’s Mixcloud to stream the show in full.
Kryshe’s “In Between” Out Now!
Hidden Shoal is proud to announce the release of the stunning new EP In Between by German artist Kryshe. The EP is available now via Kryshe’s Bandcamp along with the freely downloadable track ‘Africa’. In Between is also now part of the Hidden Shoal licensing catalogue.
As its name suggests, In Between lives and breathes in the spaces around each carefully played note. This exquisitely subtle and detailed five-track EP resonates with chilly grandeur and heartening warmth. Across spacious vistas reminiscent of the collaborative work of Brian Eno and Harold Budd, delicate yet assured melodies unfurl before being subjected to delicate manipulation. This is enveloping, minimal music with a fragility that belies its emotional potency.
Opening with the shimmering piano melodies and tape-chewed ambience of the majestic title track, with detours via the angelic music-box miniature ‘Iceland’ and the glitch-scarred sustain-scapes of ‘Africa’, and concluding with the achingly melancholic ‘Lullaby’, In Between is a perfectly formed release that announces an understated new ambient craftsman.
“Pressed with the poise and steeled with the atmospheric tenderness of Antonymes and softly coaxed by the delicately yearn of Vini Reilly this gem provides one of those rare occasional moments which once veered into earshot has jaws dropped agape and clocks literally frozen still.” – The Sunday Experience
Be sure to get your ears in front of this as it really is something special.
Glowing Reviews for Involved’s “Revolving Maze”
Involved’s stunning debut album Revolving Maze has scooped some equally beautiful reviews since its release. The album has recently been covered by Igloo Mag, the Italian Blog Music Will Not Save You, the French zine Indie Rock Mag and The Sunday Experience. Here’s a little taste,
“The whole ensemble goes beyond the mere sum of its sounds, as if something of an almost shamanic nature emanated out of it. There are clearly more ideas in one Involved title then in certain whole discographies from largely overestimated artists from that genre. No matter, we’ll delight ourselves with Revolving Maze, an album that will clearly require many listen sessions to perceive its richness and subtlety. A masterpiece, right from the first album.” – Indie Rock Mag
“Dorsey and Enoignor have created a multilayered and vigorous debut album full of luminosity and liquid elasticity.” – Igloo Mag
“an alluring and dare I say beguiling slice of porcelain primed future visions that blends together a panoramic precision with a statuesque soundtrack velour whilst splicing together the cold wave dystopia of Vangelis’ ‘blade runner’ with the silken symphonia of the ‘adjustment bureau’ soundtrack to sumptuously morph from kosmiche chill to spectral romance in one trick of the ear apparition like movement.” – The Sunday Experience
Head to Involved’s Bandcamp to stream the album in full and grab yourself a copy.
New Todd Tobias Single – Free Download & Stream
Good times people! Ahead of the release of Todd Tobias‘s latest slice of experimental rock wonder Impossible Cities we have the first single for your delectation. ‘Kur’ is at once playful, brooding and psychedelic – everything we’ve come to expect from Tobias’s solo work and more. Grab it now via Bandcamp or stream it at SoundCloud.
Impossible Cities is the latest visionary chapter in Todd Tobias’s ongoing exploration of rock’s darkest and most hypnotic realms. Inspired by the Ital Calvino book Invisible Cities, each track is named after an imaginary city, from the glistening exoticism of ‘Lamura’ via the seething murk of ‘Gorgum Reeth’ and ‘Smazbaal’ to the eerie, shimmering grandeur of ‘Akrova’, Tobias’s latest musical universe is vividly rendered, scary, beautiful and utterly immersive. The album comes with the companion mini-album Impossible Cities 2, which comprises 10 haunting vignettes.
Impossible Cities drops on the 28th of October and will see worldwide digital and CD release in USA and Canada through Hidden Shoal and Todd Tobias. Tiny Room Records will release the CD in Europe and all other territories.
Involved’s “Revolving Maze” Out Now!
We’re super excited to announce the release of Revolving Maze, the debut album by electronic duo Involved. We’ve been spinning this album non-stop since we first got sent the demos so it’s wonderful to finally be able to share it. The album also joins the Hidden Shoal licensing catalogue, available for film, tv, web and games productions.
The album fuses the psychedelic sounds of ’70s kosmische with ’80s electronic and more modern ambient styles, creating evocative, cinematic music. However, rather than being revisionist, Involved curate fresh sounds from a musical palette that spans 40 years. Lush synth tones are deployed with an innate sense of melody, leading the listener through widescreen narratives of enviable scope. With Revolving Maze, the title says it all: this is complex, engrossing music that transforms with each spin.
“Through solid musicianship, on both the parts of Dorsey and Enoignor, Involved has breached new ground. Their skilled playing and production paired with an immensely imaginative vision translated into fifty minutes of music that seems designed to find that beautiful put into each of us.” – Lady Obscure
Head to Involved’s Bandcamp to scoop yourself a copy of this stunning album right now. The album will also be available via iTunes, Amazon, eMusic and the other usual outlets in a few weeks.
Kryshe and DrAlienSmith Reviews
Two equally lovely reviews have just flown in for Kryshe and DrAlienSmith. Kryshe‘s track ‘Africa’ from his forthcoming EP In Between (25th Sept) has scooped an amazing write up at The Sunday Experience and DrAlienSmith‘s EP Under Songs kicked a written and numerical goal with a 4.5/5 review at The Music. Here’s a taste,
“This heavy, atmospheric piece of instrumental work takes the best elements from doom, shoegaze, sludge and post-rock and morphs it all together with thick guitar riffs, distorted bass and haunting synths. Opener, Underslung builds towards a plateau of triumphant sounds in classic post-rock fashion, while closer, Endo Turn is thick with imagery – the incessant drone and synth making for an incredibly eerie vibe. There’s a real density in the ambience of these four tracks, similar in some ways to the likes of Tim Hecker’s Ravedeath, 1972, and as such, certainly deserves to be heard.” – The Music
“Is this not something else. New via the ever adored Hidden Shoal imprint – purveyors of sublime sonics – this is taken from a new EP entitled ‘in between’ by Kryshe… ‘Africa’ is as near to heavenly perfection you’re going to get this missive out. Pressed with the poise and steeled with the atmospheric tenderness of Antonymes and softly coaxed by the delicately yearn of Vini Reilly this gem provides one of those rare occasional moments which once veered into earshot has jaws dropped agape and clocks literally frozen still.” – The Sunday Experience
For more streams, downloads and more info check out Kryshe’s profile here and DrAlienSmith’s here.
Brother Earth “Positive Haywires” Out Now!
Hidden Shoal is proud to announce the release of Positive Haywires by American duo Brother Earth. To coincide with the release we also have another treat for you in the form of a new music video for the fantastic album track ‘Planet Wednesday‘. Positive Haywires is also now part of the Hidden Shoal licensing catalogue and is available for all film, tv, web and games projects.
Brother Earth brings together the formidable talents of multi-instrumentalist Todd Tobias (Circus Devils) and vocalist Steve Five (The Library is on Fire). On this their debut album for Hidden Shoal Brother Earth’s shadowy, kaleidoscopic music vacillates between brooding textural pieces and exuberant rock-and-roll at the drop of a hat, chasing the ghosts of pop music past into a hall of cracked mirrors. The album’s wonderfully elastic aesthetics shift from dark and broken to sunny and playful in a matter of songs, while maintaining their own warped and beautiful logic. The album features the previously released singles ‘Out Like a Lion‘ and ‘City of Gold‘.
“It’s surprising and experimental, and quite beautiful.” – Backseat Mafia on ‘Out Like a Lion’
The album is available now on CD, limited edition cassette and digital formats via Brother Earth’s Bandcamp page.
Kramies Interview Launches New Features Section
Two good bits of news in one. Firstly we finally get to launch our new Features section on the site. We’ll be presenting interviews with Hidden Shoal artists and other folk we call our friends, waxing lyrical about our favourite tracks, throwing artist and label curated mixtapes at you and a host of other things we haven’t even dreamed up yet. We’ll be posting new material regularly so be sure to subscribe to the RSS feed or check back regularly.
Now for some icing on this cake – our first feature slot goes to an interview with the inimitable Kramies where he talks about Neil Diamond, Ghost Hunters and Jason Lytle (amongst other things). Head to the Features section and check it out now.
Hidden Shoal MixTape
