Hidden Shoal News
New Kramies Review and Interview
Kramies gorgeous new EP The Folklore Sessions (featuring Grant Wilson of Ghost Hunters) has just received a glowing review at Luna Kafe,
“No make-up, no special effects, no overdub-garnish. Just the power and the beauty of melodies carried out ‘unplugged’. “The Wooden Heart” is lovely. “Antiquarian Days” is exquisite. “Sea Otter Cottage” is simply gorgeous. Wonderful stuff.” – Luna Kafe
The dream pop troubadour has also just been interviewed at the Hipster Approved blog where he waxes lyrical about cheese, goats, headphones, music, Hidden Shoal, Cam Merton, Jason Lytle, Grant Wilson, castles, ghosts and cookies. What’s not to like about all those things!
Kramies – ‘Antiquarian Days’ (featuring Grant Wilson)
Brother Earth Signs to Hidden Shoal
As promised in our previous post we have more fantastic news to share. We’re extremely excited to be able to announce the signing of American duo Brother Earth. The band will release the amazing full length Positive Haywires on 16th September preceded by two singles, the first of which drops next week (30th July)! Positive Haywires vacillates between brooding textural pieces and exuberant rock’n’roll at the drop of a hat, chasing the ghosts of pop music past into a hall of cracked mirrors. It’s an amazing album and we can’t wait for you all to hear it.
Brother Earth is a collaboration between multi-instrumentalist/producer Todd Tobias and vocalist Steve Five. Todd’s darkly exotic instrumental music has featured on three Hidden Shoal releases to date (Medicine Show, Night Above Ground and I Razor). Todd is also a member of Circus Devils alongside brother Tim Tobias and vocalist Robert Pollard (Guided by Voices). Steve Five is the guitarist/vocalist/songwriter for the wonderful Brooklyn-based band The Library is on Fire.
Be sure to sign up to our mailing list to get first dibs on the single next week.
New Website, New Moves!
If you’re reading this on our new website then it’s hardly news that we have a new website. But damn it we do! It’s not just a makeover though – it represents some exciting changes that we’ve been working on at Hidden Shoal over the last several months. These changes mean we’ll be working more collaboratively with our artists, and part of that is allowing you to buy all of the releases directly from them, so they receive 100% of the sale. Cool! That means that the Hidden Shoal Store has met its maker – you can read a little note on that here.
We’ll also be acting as publisher for our roster, seeking film, TV, web and game placements, and tackling other publishing avenues. We’re extremely excited about growing this aspect of Hidden Shoal’s endeavours and we can’t wait to build on the all the fantastic film and TV placements we’ve secured over the last couple of years.
We’ll also be using this spanking new website to let you get to know our artists a little better, with interviews, mixtapes, videos and more. The first of these features will be up in a few weeks, so stay tuned.
And if all that wasn’t enough, we have some ridiculously talented new artists and exciting new releases to announce over the coming months, the first of which we’ll tell you about tomorrow. Watch this space.
Hidden Shoal Featured at Happy!
Check out this wonderful feature on Hidden Shoal over at the brilliant Sydney based zine Happy. Some lovely mini write ups of the new Slow Dancing Society album The Cogent Sea and Kramies The Wooden Heart EP in there as well. We loved these guys and girls already but this just takes the relationship to another level. Here’s a taste,
“After grabbing your favourite pair of headphones, Hidden Shoal Recordings should be your first destination. They’re a Perth-based label offering what they describe as a “remote” musical experience; a collection of music from composers and bands which all offer a respite from the noise pollution most of us are surrounded with. Each track in their catalogue is a new step in a sonic journey… It is somewhat telling that Hidden Shoal also has a large part of their catalogue available for film and TV licensing. Much of the music on the label has a cinematic feel that I could easily imagine being set to sweeping shots of rolling hills in a nature documentary or a viral motivational video.”
If you’re not already a Happy reader then do check them out – much awesomeness awaits!
More Glowing Reviews for “The Folklore Sessions”
Kramies beautiful new free EP The Folklore Sessions is continuing to garner praise as it reaches new ears. The, which features the piano talents of Ghost Hunters’ Grant Wilson, has just scooped two glowing reviews over at Backseat Mafia and Music Won’t Save You. Here’s a taste to get you in the mood,
“Dutch/American singer song writer Kramies has released three truly breathtaking, stripped back versions of songs from his two EPs released by Hidden Shoal… “ – Backseat Mafia
“…the version of ‘The Wooden Heart’ in this acoustic session, which renounces the incendiary original epic title track of his previous Ep without losing but rather amplifying the rhythmic pathos.” – Music Won’t Save You
The Folklore Sessions is available for free download from Kramies Bandcamp.
Slow Dancing Society Reviewed at Santa Sangre
Slow Dancing Society’s stunning 6th album The Cogent Sea has just scooped a glowing and beautifully written review over at the excellent music zine Santa Sangre. Check out out a grab,
“No detail is too small nor are any set of notes too remote for this one not to reach, he’ll bring out the atmosphere in even the most mundane setting. With the gradual progressions of a wave forming out at sea and then gracefully dying before it hits the shore this is an album made for two. Be they waves and sand, acrimony and regret or as The Church put on the inside of an album: the joy of expectation.” – Santa Sangre
If you’ve not yet checked out the album and scored yourself a copy then head to the Slow Dancing Society Bandcamp for streaming, CD and digital.
Slow Dancing Society – ‘Pull’
Slow Dancing Society’s “The Cogent Sea” Out Now!
We’re incredibly excited to announce the official release of Slow Dancing Society’s 6th album, The Cogent Sea. This is yet is another absorbing progression in Drew Sullivan’s mesmerising discography. The album continues the submersed exploration of Sullivan’s ’80s influences while also drawing upon an incredibly focused and cinematic ambient minimalism. There are trademark elements from across Slow Dancing Society’s stunning, critically acclaimed back catalogue, but rather than being throwbacks they present a continuity of narrative that is rarely found over such a large body of work. On single ‘A Clearing’, gently overlapping waves of synthesizer are suspended amid sustained tones, holding the listener transfixed before Sullivan’s trademark guitar sound gently brings the listener back down to earth, transformed. Second single ‘Pull’ is aptly titled, its droning radiance, warm piano chords and magnetic guitar figures pulling the listener irresistibly into its enveloping glow. This is Slow Dancing Society at his masterful, immersive best.
The album is available in CD and digital formats via Slow Dancing Society’s BandCamp. For a limited time CD orders through Bandcamp also include a copy of Laterna Magica, Slow Dancing Society’s previous album. The album is also available digitally via iTunes, eMusic, Google Play, Amazon along with a range of other digital stores.
New Slow Dancing Society Album CD Pre-Order
It’s less than a week before Slow Dancing Society’s stunning 6th album The Cogent Sea is officially let out into the world. But why wait when you can head over to Bandcamp and pre-order the CD right now. Even better you get an immediate download of the album and for a limited time a bonus cd copy of his previous album Laterna Magica.
The Cogent Sea is officially released on the 26th of June and will be available from Bandcamp, iTunes, Amazon, eMusic, Google Play and the other usual digital suspects.
Kramies “The Folklore Sessions” Reviewed at Lux Atenea
Fantastic review in the Spanish blog Lux Atenea for Kramies beautiful new EP The Folklore Sessions (featuring the wonderful Grant Wilson). You may need to draw on your Spanish lessons to read this or use the Google language mutilator.
Don’t forget you can download The Folklore Sessions for free from Bandcamp. Well what are you waiting for?
New Free Kramies EP Featuring Grant Wilson of Ghost Hunters!
We’re super excited to release The Folklore Sessions, the free new EP from Kramies. The EP features acoustic versions of songs from his two acclaimed Hidden Shoal EPs The European and The Wooden Heart, plus the piano talents of Grant Wilson (of Ghost Hunters TV show fame).
While his previous EPs mined a wonderfully rich seam of atmospheric yet epic songcraft, The Folklore Sessions demonstrates that Kramies’ songwriting is just as stunning without the undeniable production talents of Jason Lytle (Grandaddy) and Todd Tobias (Guided By Voices, Robert Pollard, Circus Devils). With just his voice and acoustic guitar, plus languid piano backing by Grant Wilson, these stripped-back versions of The European’s ‘Antiquarian Days’, The Wooden Heart’s title track and ‘Sea Otter Cottage’ are given vivid new life through Kramies’ genuinely affecting performances.
“It’s rare to find dream-pop that resolves with such assured optimism, in which you can sense experience shifting into its proper place… Kramies seems to have mastered the talent of simply breathing it into shape” – Misfit City on single and title track ‘The Wooden Heart’
Head to Kramies’ Bandcamp to grab the EP for free then head to the Hidden Shoal Store to check out Kramies previous releases The European and The Wooden Heart.
Hidden Shoal MixTape
