JANUARY 2021 Noise Artists' playlist
And in No particular order:
From ZEUG, a Metalgaze band from Berlin, that we had in a previous playlist, comes an amazing music video:
On the 9th of July zeug packed up their gear and for two days moved into Wasserspeicher – a vast water reservoir built in the middle of the 19th century in the heart of Berlin. It was here where their upcoming EP 'Grounded' was recorded – without any additional production effects, the stone cavern (32 meters in diameter and 8 meters high ceiling) captured a natural reverb decay of 5 seconds.
For the 'Duende' film each participant of the crew was given almost limitless freedom of expression, with the band acting as musical mediators, creating a sonic foundations for the performers. Therefore, what started as just the second zeug's EP release, merged into a complex synthetic piece of art.
As its core ideals zeug praise freedom of expression and the power of improvisation. Throughout this process, time and space took over and became the main influencers, which solidified the music pieces. By allowing the acoustics of Wasserspeicher play a significant role in the sound and treating the space as an instrument in itself - amplifying the collossal sound of zeug - (much to the delight of the local Prenzlauer Berg residents) zeug unintentionally set the architectural and historical context free to shape the music itself.
The image is superb and the dancers and musician’s perfomance is first class.
EMPEROR OF ICE CREAM, a four band members, now based in Cork, Waterford (Ireland), New York and Amsterdam, have worked on adding the finishing touches to the album remotely during the Covid Pandemic, while also inviting fans to be a part of the new video for ‘Everyone Looks So Fine’ by sending clips of themselves for inclusion. The track is released on FIFA Records with the album due to follow later.
CINEMA LUMIERE are Pop music alchemists from Manila, Philippines. This is their latest song. Beautiful Dream Pop.
The 4 members of PULSE PARK first met some time ago on an arctic expedition in Qikiqtaaluk/Canada and started learning their instruments during the long polar nights.
These were ukuleles that they had traded dry fruits for at the Inuit. After introducing a breeding program for bowhead whales the band decided to sing about this experience. Songs about the cold, the dark, cod-liver oil and dinky arctic hares. This is excellent indie music.
Choux (US-CAN) is an indie dream pop duo led by lead vocalist Lizzie Carolan based in Montreal, and multi-instrumentalist Jordan Gatesmith based in Minneapolis. They are best known for their lush soundscapes and ethereal melodies that carry listeners to another dimension. If you love Cocteau Twins you will enjoy this very much. Really good album.
GRAYWAVE are a Dreampop band from the UK. they released ‘Like Heaven’ in December. It is a very good song, reminiscent of some of the best Shoegaze sounds. Judge by yourself.
A beautiful ballad, that is not without reminding of the CRANES (and an other of my favourite bands, the SIGH) from KALI MA AND THE GARLANDS OF ARMS, from Pensylvania (USA).
STACKING PENNIES is from Denver, USA. They just released an eerie atomspheric LP, from which this is extracted.
GHOST FROG are a space rock band from Portland (USA). They play heavy psychedelic stoner rock that combines doomy riffs with punk energy, while also evoking themes derived from sci-fi/ horror film and literature as well as all things paranormal. Really nice sound and collection of songs.
LONELY ME, from RIO in Brazil are doing Lo-fi Shoegaze with a fuzzy sound. Interesting DIY sound.
