Somewherecold records: an interactive guide to the label with the artists
Somewherecold Records, releases cassettes and CDs, concentrating on the sorts of music covered on the blog Somewherecold: Experimental, Ambient, Dream Pop, and Shoegaze.
We asked the label creator, manager and artist, Jason Lamoreaux (also Blog Editor with SomewhereCold.net and DJ on DKFM) if he would be up to present his label through 5 songs, by 5 artists. We were so honoured by his enthusiasm and the kindness him and the artists showed for the project.
Follow us in an interactive tour of the label, with 5 artists' comments (audio or written) on one of their songs, to get an impression on what the label has to offer in terms of music. You will not be disappointed.
THE CORRUPTING SEA - ENTRY
The Corrupting Sea is the ambient project of Jason Lamoreaux. Symphony of a Radical is the conclusion to a trilogy of albums which have been released throughout 2017 under his The Corrupting Sea moniker.
An exercise in minimalism. Symphony of a Radical is the sonic story of Lamoreaux’s worst year in his life to date. Each track explores sparse soundscapes moving from guitars to bass, to midi as mediums of aural storytelling.
We did a more in-depth article on The Corrupting Sea that you can find on Noise Artists (click on link), and an audio guide. You can also watch the Noise Artists Session 2 (live).
Jason talks about one of the tracks, Entry, from his LP Symphony of a radical.
AIDAN BAKER - TRANSGENIC 2
Aidan Baker is a classically-trained multi-instrumentalist using the electric guitar as his primary instrument.
Using prepared and alternate methods of playing the guitar, along with various electronic effects, Baker creates music which generally falls within the ambient/experimental genre but draws on influences from rock, electronic, classical, and jazz.
A highly prolific artist, Baker has released numerous recorded works, both solo and with various group projects. Baker is also the author of several books of poetry. Originally from Toronto, Canada, Baker currently resides in Berlin, Germany.
Aidan was very kind to tell us more about his song Transgenic 2, released in his LP Aberration in December 2017.
" The album Aberration began as something of an experiment in daily collections of audio fragments while on tour in Europe in 2016, the idea being to capture at least a minute or so of some sound from a different place each day -- whether a field recording, a snippet of sound check, or a fragment of trying to figure something out after a show in a hotel room...
As such, the individual tracks on this album are formed less from any concrete compositional structure than given shape by one of these audio fragments...some of which are more obvious and memorable than others (like the sound of a metal door in a friend's flat in Dortmund or the sound of ice breaking up in Stockholm).
And some of which I don't really remember...as is the case with 'Transgenic 2'. I'm pretty sure the recorded fragment around which the track was built is that distorted guitar swell...but where and when I first played and recorded that fragment, I couldn't say...
So, take from that what you will...an exploration of the randomness of everyday sound? The inherent musicality of background 'noise'? An attempt to organize and utilize the random disorder of our everyday sonic tapestry...?"
BEREMY JETS - A.C.
Somewherecold.net tells us:
"The Beremy Jets is the project of Paul Saarnak, hailing from Sweden, who currently is the drummer of Slowmotion Club and LKWRM. In The Beremy Jets, Saarnak is a multi-instrumentalist, taking on the role of guitarist, bassist, drummer, and vocalist. Backup Friend is his second EP and his second release. His brand of shoegaze is on the louder side, with swirling tumults of guitars, aggressive bass, and crash-heavy percussion. His vocals are reverb drenched and dreamy, buried in the walls of sound."
Paul was very kind in telling us more about his sound and on the song Mr. bikinis:
YELLOW6 - 13 LOOPS
Yellow6 is the ambient project of Jon Attwood who hails from Leicestershire, England.
Proffering hypnotic ambient tracks through guitars, Attwood has been releasing music since the late 1990’s, with 2018 being the 20th anniversary of his output. Before that anniversary is upon him, Attwood is releasing a very limited (50 copies) cassette entitled 13 Loops. 13 Loops consists of two tracks that run between 24 and 25 minutes.
Both extended tracks utilize 13 loops of different lengths and repeat them randomly to create interesting and modified shifts in sound over the course the of track.
Attwood deftly moves in and out of dreamy reverb-drenched guitar into ambient textures and formless, floating moments. Side A contains a track where each loop is recorded in isolation and then brought together to interact with one another.
Side B is constructed utilizing a click track as loops continue to rise and fall throughout. An experiment in the beauty of sound and texture, 13 Loops draws the listener into a thoughtful and meditative soundscape.
Jon tells us the following about his songs 13 Loops (I and II) released in July 2017
"This is one of the few times I have attempted ‘process music’, where the final result is not completely in my control and relies on the process of construction.
For this project, the aim was to create 13 individual loops, each of which should fit with any of the others in any combination. Each loop has a different length, and these are repeated or positioned randomly throughout the time scale in Ableton Live. The total piece came to just under 25 minutes.
Loops used both guitars with a number of different effects, and piano (played via midi instruments).
Two different pieces, titled 13 Loops I and II were prepared. 13 Loops I was constructed using individually recorded loops, each recorded in isolation. This leads to a random feel to the piece. 13 Loops II uses a click track to synch the loops together, creating a more coherent, but also more traditional arrangement. Each part was again recorded in isolation, but each to the same tempo.
The random placement of the different loops leads to changes in mood and feel at random with the varying sounds used."
MIS+RESS
Mis+ress is the musician, artist, mixing and mastering engineer, father, and educator Brian Wenckebach.
Wenckebach was a member of Brooklyn Shoegaze darlings Elika and experimental electronica outfit Thee Koukouvaya.
He's worked with a number of established artists and labels including Showtime Television Networks, Polyvinyl Records, Ulrich Schnauss, Asobi Seksu, Noveller, Thisquietarmy, and Nadja.
This album was recorded with an electric guitar and four effects pedals in his sister-in-law's childhood bedroom in Toms River, New Jersey. Rather than relying solely on atmosphere and texture, Mis+ress creates songs with genuine emotional content. They are clever and intricate, dreamy yet broken. Gorgeous landscapes littered with machines languishing in obsolescence. Mis+ress evokes memories of a past/future you didn't/won't have. This is post ambient, instrumental guitar. No frills, no hiding.
Brian gives us a very nice in-depth commentary on the making of his song Mr. bikinis released in October 2017:
OUTRO
We hope you enjoyed this tour as much as we enjoyed preparing it for you (speaking both for Somewherecold Records and Artists).
We may bring you more of these projects in the future as we plan to stay in touch with Jason. And if you like these artists, you can find them and more when you the great blog Somewherecold.net, and on the Bandcamp Records label page.
