Hidden Shoal News
Scott Solter Resets Erik Friedlander
Scott Solter’s brazen experimentalism is only equaled by his innate sense of musicality. Marry this to the genius of Erik Friedlander and we have No Compass: Solter Resets Friedlander an EP of five tracks from Erik Friedlander’s 2008 Broken Arm Trio CD completely reinvented by Solter. In his hands the acoustic cello, bass and drums trio tracks have become vertigo-inducing panoramas — kaleidoscopic recompositions. 5 striking examples of Solter’s fearless studio craft.
The release is available now as a limited edition 10″ vinyl as well as CD and digital formats. Check out availability in the Hidden Shoal Store and while you’re there, don’t forget to check out Solter’s stunning solo release One River.
Markus Mehr's "On" Hits KZSU's Top 10!
Markus Mehr’s brilliant 2012 release On is still making waves. The album is number 7 on the KZSU Main chart and number 1 on their experimental chart. That not only says a lot for what is an amazing album, but also a lot about what a truly fantastic station KZSU is. True supporters of music at its broadest definitions.
Check out all Markus Mehr releases including On and his latest, Off, at the Hidden Shoal Store.
Markus Mehr – ‘Only For a While’
Apricot Rail and Circus Devils Featured on the Ken McGuire Blog
The lovely Ken McGuire has featured two Hidden Shoal artists over the last week on his Listening Post blog. The first single taken from the forthcoming I Razor soundtrack, Circus Devils ‘All The Good Ones Are Gone’, was given a lovely little write up, followed by love for the Apricot Rail track ‘Running With an Egg on a Spoon’ and their new album Quarrels.
“Piano intros always get me. So too has All The Good Ones Are Gone the latest single release from Circus Devils, led by Guided By Voices’ Robert Pollard. Steeped in melancholy, this is the first track to come from the I Razor soundtrack which features works from brothers Tim and Todd Tobias (on piano and synth here) and Circus Devils.” – Ken McGuire on Circus Devils ‘All The Good Ones Are Gone’
Circus Devils ‘All The Good Ones Are Gone’ is available now for free download ahead of the I Razor soundtrack release on the 16th May. Apricot Rail’s stunning sophomore album Quarrels is available now in CD and digital formats and the first single ‘Basket Press’ is also available for free download.
Apricot Rail – ‘Running With An Egg On A Spoon’
Circus Devils ‘All The Good Ones Are Gone’
Markus Mehr's "Off" Reviewed at Cultural Terrorism
Markus Mehr’s sublime 2013 release Off has just received another glowing review, this time over at the excellent German blog Cultural Terrorism. The review is in German however we have some translated excerpts here.
There are still a small amount of of the limited edition CD release of Off so please head to the Hidden Shoal Store to secure your copy. If digital is your thing we also have the the album available in mp3 & FLAC formats.
Markus Mehr Off (excerpt)
New Circus Devils Single Featuring Robert Pollard – Free Download!
Hidden Shoal Recordings is excited to announced the release of the new single ‘All The Good Ones Are Gone’ by Robert Pollard-led Circus Devils, taken from the forthcoming I Razor soundtrack. Fans can download the track for free from the Hidden Shoal Store.
‘All The Good Ones Are Gone’ is the first official cut from the soundtrack to I Razor, the no-budget experimental feature film directed by Todd Tobias. The track finds Circus Devils at their most introspective, as Robert Pollard’s unmistakably commanding and affecting vocals and wonderful lyrical play roll out over beds of melancholic sequenced piano and synth courtesy of Todd Tobias. ‘All The Good Ones Are Gone’ soundtracks the final sequence of I Razor, providing a beautifully reflective and suitably dreamy cinematic finale. This is some of Pollard and Tobias’s most nuanced work to date.
“Wistful, pretty, and melancholy, Pollard lets loose a truly affecting melody with a wonderfully natural delivery. It’s been said over and over again that he makes it look easy — and even after years and years of songwriting, tracks like ‘You First’ indicate that he’s far from reaching a brick wall.” – Pitchfork on Ringworm Interiors
The I Razor soundtrack, to be released by Hidden Shoal in May 2013, comprises work by Todd Tobias and Circus Devils, featuring vocals from Robert Pollard (Guided By Voices) as well as instrumental versions of some of the band’s existing songs. The album is a cinematic feast within itself, uncompromising, redemptive and always engaging.
Circus Devils – ‘All The Good Ones Are Gone’
Circus Devils Music Video Featured at Magnet Magazine
The brilliant music video for Circus Devils ‘Let’s Go Back To Bed’ lifted off the forthcoming I Razor soundtrack has been featured in the always reliable Magnet Magazine. This comes just days before the first official single from the I Razor soundtrack is released (14th March), the Circus Devils track ‘All The Good Ones Are Gone’.
For the uninitiated I Razor is the no-budget experimental feature film directed by Todd Tobias. The I Razor soundtrack, to be released by Hidden Shoal in May 2013, comprises work by Todd Tobias and Circus Devils featuring vocals from Robert Pollard (Guided by Voices) as well as instrumental versions of some of the bands existing songs. The album is a cinematic feast within itself, uncompromising, redemptive and always engaging.
Markus Mehr's "Off" Reviewed in Hypnagogue
Markus Mehr’s sublime new album Off has received another glowing and wonderfully engaged review, this time over at the always excellent Hypnagogue. Check out the excerpt below to get you started, then read the whole review here.
“Listening to Off is a challenge, but it’s an incredibly rewarding one. The balance is tricky, because the opposite ends of this equation are the far ends, but Mehr makes its work perfectly. You are pummeled with the unyielding intrusion of blatantly non-musical noise, and you are salved with the reassuring solidity of the piano, and somehow it makes sense. Yes, it requires an open approach to music. If you like it pat and simple, this won’t work for you. And maybe it’s not supposed to. The triptych as a whole has been slim on easy access points, but that’s also a hallmark of Mehr’s work–he’s not easy to listen to. He is, however, well worth the effort, and Off is perhaps Mehr at his most stunning.” – Hypangogue
Stream Off and get your copy of the limited edition CD release or digital package here.
Apricot Rail "Quarrels" Now Officially Available – Digital and CD
Apricot Rail’s much anticipated sophomore album Quarrels is now officially available which means digital packages (MP3 + FLAC) and CD packages (Inc immediate album download) are now live in the Hidden Shoal Store. A beautiful extended digital booklet is also available for download for those who have already purchased, those who are about to and even those who are just plain curious.
Almost four years after the release of their acclaimed self-titled debut album, Perth-based multi-instrumental pop sextet Apricot Rail return with their sophomore album Quarrels, which features the singles ‘Basket Press’ and ‘Surry Hills’. A foray into more experimental territory, Quarrels features lusher, denser instrumentation, is rich in ideas yet toys with new levels of restraint. The band’s trademark harmonic guitar passages and syncopation sit beneath languid brass and woodwind, balanced by glitchy electronica, dramatic crescendos and opium-infused oriental explorations; slow, meandering waltzes give way to moments of ethereal lightness and beauty. This music transcends fads and trends to appeal to anyone drawn to beautiful, supple songcraft.
“Quarrels envelopes the listener like a rain curtain, with Rail’s six individual parts contracting into a tourniquet with exactly the kind of apparent, balmy temperance that actually masks rigid and almost brilliant perfectionism. Simply and quietly, this is an incredible album.” – Drum Media
Apricot Rail – ‘Running With an Egg on a Spoon’
New Todd Tobias + Circus Devils Album and Music Video!
Hidden Shoal is excited to announce the upcoming release of I Razor, the soundtrack album for the no-budget experimental feature film directed by Todd Tobias. The I Razor soundtrack, to be released by Hidden Shoal in May 2013, comprises work by Todd Tobias and Circus Devils featuring vocals from Robert Pollard (Guided by Voices) as well as instrumental versions of some of the bands existing songs. The album is a cinematic feast within itself, uncompromising, redemptive and always engaging.
To get you in the mood we have a music video (Youtube, Vimeo) to share for album track ‘Let’s Go Back to Bed’ by Todd Tobias and the Circus Devils. The video features footage from the film and provides a window into the visual and sonic landscape that is I Razor. The video precedes the first official single to be released off the album, ‘All The Good Ones Are Gone’ by Circus Devils, available on 14 March as a free download.
Apricot Rail – Reviews, Album of the Week and RTRFM Feature Album!
Apricot Rail‘s stunning new release Quarrels has been garnering lots of deserved love of late. First single from the album ‘Basket Press’ has scooped a bunch of wonderful reviews which you can check out here, whilst the album has just been named as Drum Media’s album of the week along with a stunning review,
“Quarrels envelopes the listener like a rain curtain, with Rail’s six individual parts contracting into a tourniquet with exactly the kind of apparent, balmy temperance that actually masks rigid and almost brilliant perfectionism. Simply and quietly, this is an incredible album.” – Drum Media
Quarrels is also one of this week’s RTRFM feature albums so be sure to listen in as you can win yourself one of 5 copies of the album!
Apricot Rail – ‘Running With an Egg on a Spoon’
Hidden Shoal MixTape
