editions mego’s latest: philipp quehenberger

the latest release from the eclectic editions mego label is philipp quehenberger’s phantom in paradise, which is, from what i gather, an electronic dance music record. i don’t know much about this artist, in fact the only thing i can find to listen to from this release is a bit of the track “loner goner” in a medley on mego’s myspace page. apparently on another austrian label, cheap entertainment, he has put out a 12″ which has a couple downloadable samples here. based on these tracks his style seems to be gritty experimental industrial pop. well it’s interesting stuff, and i feel anything mego-related is worthy of a mention. it would be cool if the label actually put up some samples though! as usual, here’s some promotional text and the tracklisting:

Based on a wondrous forwardness , the prevailing instrumental tracks neglect predictability, never lose their mysteries, opening psychedelic trap doors and windows,bunching imagination and closeness. “Phantom in Paradise” captivates with intelligent dancefloor confusions, out of which in a hypnotic maelstrom are peeling off a sneaking, dark gleaming Pop appeal and uncaring magic. Quehenberger has taken the raw energy of his ecstatic live performances and crafted a diamond of a release. From the catchy riffs of ‘Loner Goner’, to the polyrhythmic UR-like ‘Varad” and the scorching twisted keyboard distortion of ‘Verdammst!’.

1. wives with knives
2. loner goner
3. varad
4. far away places
5. ozerea 1
6. puss in boots
7. that’s that
8. cup of coffee
9. verdammst!

stars of the lid’s new album

…and their refinement of the decline, the followup to 2001’s the tired sounds of… that has been five years in the making will be released on kranky in the coming week or so… amazon says on the third of april. like their previous album this is a 2-cd set containing over two hours of music.

In this album, SOTL picks up where The Tired Sounds Of… left off with an emphasis on melodic development, moving their epic soundscapes beyond mere drone and subsequently frustrating all the typical ambient cliches associated with their music. Perhaps the best references for this current work would be found in the score to the film Le Mepris by Georges Delerue, the orchestral works of Zbigniew Preisner, or the 1958 CSO/ Fritz Reiner recording of Hovhaness’ Mysterious Mountain, specifically the third movement. But in the final analysis, such comparisons are superfluous at best, as Stars of the Lid have created a musical universe in which they are the sole inhabitant.

here’s disc one’s tracklisting:

1. dungtitled (in a major)
2. articulate silences, pt. 1
3. articulate silences, pt. 2
4. the evil that never arrived
5. apreludes (in c sharp major)
6. don’t bother they’re here
7. dopamine clouds over craven cottage
8. even if you’re never awake (deuxième)
9. even (out) +
10. a meaningful moment through a meaning(less) process

and disc two:

1. another ballad for heavy lids
2. the daughters of quiet minds
3. hiberner toujours
4. that finger on your temple is the barrel of my raygun
5. humectez la mouture
6. tippy’s demise
7. the mouthchew
8. december hunting for vegetarian fuckface

the label has a sample track “apreludes (in c sharp minor)” available to download from the album’s page here. there’s also a video for this track, although i’m not sure if it’s official or not.

el-p “flyentology” video

here’s a youtube video for el-p’s “flyentology” featuring trent reznor off his recent i’ll sleep when you’re dead album on def jux.

herbert film score compilation released

i just got an email from !k7 records telling me that matthew herbert has just released a film score compilation appropriately titled score.

The internationally acclaimed composer, DJ and electronic studio wizard Matthew Herbert goes to the movies on his latest album Score. Showcasing yet another of his multiple musical personalities, these 17 tracks cover the first decade in Herbert’s burgeoning sideline as a writer of film scores, alongside a unique ballet collaboration.

Samples and information on the album can be found at the score microsite.

live recordings from ultrahang 2003

very old news, this, especially on the internet time-scale, but for the past day i’ve listened to nothing but live recordings from 2003’s ultrahang festival in hungary.  get them here.  they’re good-quality and feature artists and groups like goem, frank bretschneider, larsen, luomo, and a lot more.

fennesz — sakamoto collaboration, solo album

pitchfork reports that the collaboration between christian fennesz and ryuichi sakamoto will continue this year on 15 may with the release of the full-length album cendre on touch records.

Fennesz will reprise his collaboration with noted composer Ryuichi Sakamoto (The Last Emperor, etc.). The pair’s Cendre follows up 2005’s Fennesz Sakamoto one-track EP Sala Santa Cecilia and arrives Stateside via Touch on May 15. Cendre collects 11 new joint efforts and has Mr. Fennesz tearing it up on the guitar and laptop, while Mr. Sakamoto throws it down on piano and laptop.

the album will feature eleven tracks.

1. oto
2. aware
3. haru
4. trace
5. kuni
6. mono
7. kokoro
8. cendre
9. amorph
10. glow
11. abyss

later this year fennesz will also release his solo album followup to 2004’s venice.

upcoming vladislav delay

vladislav delay’s new album whistleblower will be released in the coming month or two on his huume label.  here’s a description from dotshop.se:

The new album, consisting of 7 songs, displays somewhat a resurgence of his older drug-infused sound-states; them utopian audio-visions large and vast enough to hide away from the reality. it’s clear from the first listen that this is no background music, nor is it anything but rather rewarding content for those active listeners who enjoy following his multi-speed now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t-rhythm conversations and cinematographic sound visions spread across the audible spectrum, challenging the possible and pushing the sensible boundaries of audio. A seasoned traveler, musically speaking and otherwise, he’s not afraid to devise a way to turn off rational decision-making in his music and rather become a soul-searching intuitionist, leaving all the radios turned on, but equally he’s willing to spend weeks on end sifting through a huge pile of data to just find one satisfying sound or musical momentum, whatever it was that was needed.

tracklisting:

1. whistleblower
2. wanted to (kill)
3. stop talking
4. i saw a polysexual
5. lumi
6. he lived deeply
7. recovery idea

ktl 2

the second album by ktl, the collaboration between peter rehberg (pita) and stephen o’malley of sunn o))), is expected to be released in late april or early may by the editions mego label. the album will feature four tracks and have a running time of 77:03.

1. game
2. theme
3. abattoir
4. snow 2

here’s what the label says about the cd on their website:

Devastatingly beautiful four part follow up to the acclaimed debut CD recorded in a former abattoir in Angers, as well as a 16th Century manor in the extreme west of France.

Taking the blueprint that was laid out on the first record even further, with the ecstatic build up of ‘Theme’, the near psychedelic ‘Abattoir’, and closing with the twisted romanticism of the closing ‘Snow 2’. An upgrade both artistically and emotionaly.

As with the first CD elements appeared in the finished version of the theatre piece ‘Kindertotenlieder’ by Gisele Vienne and Dennis Cooper, which was premiered in Brest, France, March 2007.

new boom bip ep sacchrilege

boom bip is set to release a new ep called sacchrilege on 23 april in the uk and 8 may in the us. here’s the tracklisting:

1. snook adis
2. rat tail
3. coogi sweater feat. ali lee
4. the pinks
5. one of eleven

i’m hesitant to even put this under the ‘hh’ because the two tracks from his myspace page (“snook adis” and “one of eleven”) are pretty much pure electro. and a lot of fun! here’s some promotional text from the boom bip website:

Boom Bip is back with a super-hot new EP in which he develops some of the harder, faster electro themes that have appeared throughout his previous albums.

Punchy beats and lush melodies that are trademarks of Bip’s sound remain steadfast, however the influences of perhaps even 80s Italo prog-soundtrackers such as Goblin creep into the uptempo synth lines and there’s more than a hint of grimey percussive baseline to guarantee dancefloor action.

upcoming skam releases

two new albums to be released by skam records: first is the third album from mr. 76ix, called 3 (minority of 1), set to be released on 30 april.  after that a new bola album, kroungrine, will be released in mid-may.