Hidden Shoal News
Willem Gator “Fragments Vol. 1” EP Out Now!
Hidden Shoal is excited to announce the release of Fragments Vol. 1, the new EP from Italian electronic producer Willem Gator. The EP is available now via Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and most other online stores. The music of Willem Gator is available for licensing (film, tv, web and more) via Hidden Shoal.
On his new EP as Willem Gator, Giuseppe Musmeci juxtaposes the glimmering tones of Asian stringed instruments against haunting vocal samples, shimmering guitar loops and pounding drum refrains. ‘Fall of Saigon’, ‘Voice of Korea’ and ‘Korean Shaman Exorcist’ all employ these instrumental ingredients to mesmerising effect. At the EP’s heart lies the glowering, reflective ‘Noodles Western’, built around piano, synth strings and pattering cymbals. Closing track ‘Pina’ sees Musmeci’s role in post-rock band HC-B brought to the fore, with drums that would sit right at home on instrumental hip-hop, offset by spiralling instrumental textures.
“an eclectic album of epic melancholic electronica, poised between post rock and clubbing sonority, full of dreamy musical constructions” – Wicked Style on Locked-In Syndrome
Willem Gator is Giuseppe Musmeci, self-taught composer, guitarist, electronic musician and member of the Italian post-rock outfit HC-B. Musmeci’s rich background in electronic music production and keen sense of texture sees him creating highly distinctive music. Willem Gator has performed throughout Europe, sharing the stage with musicians such as FM Einhet (Einsturzende Neubauten), Flying Luttenbachers, Unsane, DJ Spooky, Pansonic, Nobokazu Takemura, U-Cef, Battles and Art Brut.
Summon the Birds ‘Losing My Religion’ (R.E.M. Cover)
Hidden Shoal is proud to announce the release of ‘Losing My Religion’ by Melbourne band Summon the Birds, an expansive interpretation of the R.E.M. classic with an accompanying animated video by Finnish illustrator Antti Palosaari. The track is available to stream on Spotify and SoundCloud and can be downloaded from all good online stores.
It’s hard to believe that it’s been 30 years since R.E.M. released ‘Losing My Religion’. In that time, dozens of artists have covered the song, but most have focused on a straight rendition with the iconic mandolin riff intact. On their ambitious reinterpretation, Summon the Birds take another tack, stripping out the mandolin, shifting the song’s key centre, and splitting it into three distinct sections, complete with a ripping fuzz-guitar solo. The song has been brought to life visually with an atmospheric animated video created by Finnish illustrator Antti Palosaari.
“Radiohead are a clear marker here… They create their own rich universe with narrative character and personality in abundance” – [sic] Magazine on single ‘London Tap Water
Summon the Birds began in 2007, when singer-songwriter Jonathan Shaw and bassist/producer Peter Woodlands came together to begin working on debut album 48. The duo were soon joined by Kris Arrowsmith on drums, and Tim Clarke (Bury the Sound) on guitar. 48 was released in 2012, followed by single ‘Digger’ in 2013. In 2014, bassist Drew Corby replaced original member Peter Woodlands, and the recording of second album Blood Love began in earnest, bolstered by fifth member Paul Spurling on keyboards. Producer and engineer Tim Johnston (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, The Dandy Warhols, The Drones) oversaw the sessions and lent his golden ears to the mixes, and the album was mastered by John Ruberto (Courtney Barnett, The Drones, Electric Mary). The band are currently working on songs for their third album.
New Single from Forthcoming Memorybell Album
Hidden Shoal is excited to present ‘Beneath a Soft Clearing’, the expansive first single from No Anchor, the third album by ambient artist Memorybell. The track is available to stream on Spotify and SoundCloud and is also accompanied by a live performance video as part of January Skies, an event hosted by the Colorado Modular Synth Society in February 2021. No Anchor will see release on the 7th of May 2021 through Hidden Shoal. The music of Memorybell is available for licensing through Hidden Shoal.
On No Anchor, Grant Hazard Outerbridge expands the scope of his ambient work, crafting three long-form drone pieces that together comprise nearly 80 minutes of music. The core sounds for the album were recorded in late 2019 while Outerbridge’s studio was under construction, then developed during the pandemic to incorporate complex signal processing and layers of his core instrument, the piano.
No Anchor fades into view with the gently rushing ‘Beneath a Soft Clearing’, which evokes the feeling of travelling at speed while insulated from turbulence. The noise of the waking world encroaches more boldly in ‘Soon to Wake’, as surface static begins to crackle and hum. Then, on the monumental 42-minute title track, all terrestrial points of focus begin to fade, as a deep soundscape stretches to the horizon. The resulting album feels like a waking dream, a tactile, shimmering, gorgeously immersive experience.
“Essential to anyone searching for an aural retreat from an over-compressed world of packaged sound… Highly recommended for fans of solo piano and intersected genres, where Brian Eno meets Satie.” – Headphone Commute on Obsolete
Memorybell is the ambient project of Grant Hazard Outerbridge. From 2003 to 2008, he played bass, keys, and occasionally sang in the band The Very Hush Hush. In 2010, under the name Grant Hazard, Outerbridge self-released Genus Euphony, a solo effort of classical piano infused with subtle electronics. In February 2014, Outerbridge awoke in a hospital with no memory of how he had arrived. He was diagnosed with transient global amnesia. When he returned to the piano, Outerbridge found his previous compositions sounded garish, so he pared them down to their essence and, along with new, more spacious material, constructed the debut Memorybell release, Obsolete. This was followed in 2020 by Solace, a meditation on nature and stillness that prominently features modular synthesizer. No Anchor is his third Memorybell release.
New Chloe March Single – ‘All Things Good’
‘All Things Good‘ is the third single lifted from Starlings & Crows, the stunning new album by English ambient-pop artist Chloë March. The song is a delicate and evocative ballad, led by a vulnerable yet strongly flowing melodic vocal over gently propulsive piano. A wish-fulfilment and a spell of love and the healing sensuality of the natural world. Starlings & Crows has been featured in a number of Best of 2020 lists including Textura, Curveball and Mark Griffin.
“A stunningly lovely blend of electronic and orchestral jewel tones, sensitive vocals and diaphanous compositions, this record envelops and holds you to its chest where you can feel its beating heart.” – Mark Griffin
The album is available now in CD, cassette and digital formats via Bandcamp, streaming via Spotify and is also available via all good online stores and streaming service. The music of Chloe March is available for licensing (film, tv, web and more) via Hidden Shoal.
New Willem Gator Single, EP in February!
‘Fall of Saigon’ is the hypnotic first single lifted from Fragments, the forthcoming EP from Italian electronic producer Willem Gator. The track is available to stream via SoundCloud along with it’s accompanying music video on YouTube. Fragments will see release on the 26th of February through Hidden Shoal.
On his new EP as Willem Gator, Giuseppe Musmeci juxtaposes the glimmering tones of Asian stringed instruments against haunting vocal samples, shimmering guitar loops and pounding drum refrains. ‘Fall of Saigon’, ‘Voice of Korea’ and ‘Korean Shaman Exorcist’ all employ these instrumental ingredients to mesmerising effect. At the EP’s heart lies the glowering, reflective ‘Noodles Western’, built around piano, synth strings and pattering cymbals. Closing track ‘Pina’ sees Musmeci’s role in post-rock band HC-B brought to the fore, with drums that would sit right at home on instrumental hip-hop, offset by spiralling instrumental textures.
“an eclectic album of epic melancholic electronica, poised between post rock and clubbing sonority, full of dreamy musical constructions” – Wicked Style on Locked-In Syndrome
Willem Gator is Giuseppe Musmeci, self-taught composer, guitarist, electronic musician and member of the Italian post-rock outfit HC-B. Musmeci’s rich background in electronic music production and keen sense of texture sees him creating highly distinctive music. Willem Gator has performed throughout Europe, sharing the stage with musicians such as FM Einhet (Einsturzende Neubauten), Flying Luttenbachers, Unsane, DJ Spooky, Pansonic, Nobokazu Takemura, U-Cef, Battles and Art Brut.
The music of Willem Gator is available for licensing (film, tv, web and more) via Hidden Shoal.
Liminal Drifter Tops The US College Radio Chill Chart for 2020
It was always on the cards, but now it’s official. Liminal Drifter‘s stunning album of last year, Connected, was the number one US college radio Chill album of 2020! Oh YES!
“a beautifully choreographed snapshot of the artist’s knack for the surreal, fluid mechanics of mid-90s electronic music shaped with current-era finesse” – Igloo Mag on The Dreams
The music of Liminal Drifter is available for licensing for film, tv, web, games and beyond via Hidden Shoal. Check here for more info.
Chloe March’s “Starlings & Crows” in Mark Griffin’s Best of 2020!
Chloe March‘s stunning album Starlings & Crows has been featured in Mark Griffin’s Best of 2020! This follows the album’s inclusion in the Textura and Curveball best of 2020 lists.
“A stunningly lovely blend of electronic and orchestral jewel tones, sensitive vocals and diaphanous compositions, this record envelops and holds you to its chest where you can feel its beating heart.” – Mark Griffin
The album is available now in CD, cassette and digital formats via Bandcamp, streaming via Spotify and is also available via all good online stores and streaming service. The music of Chloe March is available for licensing (film, tv, web and more) via Hidden Shoal.
New Erik Nilsson EP – “Music For”
We’re excited to announce the release of more new work from the wonderful Erik Nilsson. On the heels of The Slanted City’s self-titled debut album, Erik Nilsson is cleaning his hard drive. In the coming months he will be releasing a series of neglected musical projects under the banner Notes and Sketches. Music For is the third installment of the Notes and Sketches series and explores the notion of musical use value. As Nilsson explains,
“It contains music intended to (1) accompany tooth brushing (subtly notifying the brusher to change sides every thirty seconds), (2) stimulate contemplation during the blue hour, (3) amplify the perceptivity of cloud watchers, and (4) awaken the joy of singing in machines. Feel free to use the music for other purposes, too – at your own risk, of course.”
The album is available now from Bandcamp and soon via Spotify, Apple, Amazon and all the other likely suspects. The music of Erik Nilsson is available for licensing (film, tv, web etc) via Hidden Shoal.
Chloe March’s “Starlings & Crows” in the Curve Ball Top 30 for 2020
Chloe March’s stunning album Starlings & Crows has been selected by the UK radio show Curve Ball as part of their Top 30 for 2020 (many thanks to Chris Evans as always). This follows on from the album’s selection by the highly respected Textura as one of the 10 best albums of 2020.
“However tempting it might be to cite artists such as Elizabeth Fraser and Tracey Thorn as reference points when speaking of March, Starlings & Crows—not for the first time—shows she’s staked out her own artistic place. No one sounds quite like her, either vocally or musically.“ – Textura
The album is available now in CD, cassette and digital formats via Bandcamp, streaming via Spotify and is also available via all good online stores and streaming service. The music of Chloe March is available for licensing (film, tv, web and more) via Hidden Shoal.
Chloe March’s “Starlings & Crows” in Textura’s Top 10 of 2020!
Chloe March‘s stunning new album Starlings & Crows has been selected by the highly respected Textura as one of the 10 best albums of 2020. The latest edition of Textura also features a glowing review of the album,
“However tempting it might be to cite artists such as Elizabeth Fraser and Tracey Thorn as reference points when speaking of March, Starlings & Crows—not for the first time—shows she’s staked out her own artistic place. No one sounds quite like her, either vocally or musically.“ – Textura
The album is available now in CD, cassette and digital formats via Bandcamp, streaming via Spotify and is also available via all good online stores and streaming service. The music of Chloe March is available for licensing (film, tv, web and more) via Hidden Shoal.
Hidden Shoal MixTape
