The Earth Is A Man

Listening to Chicago based The Earth Is A Man I'm reminded of one of my favourite bands The Naciente Quartet. TNQ released just one incredible 10" before seperating into various other projects such as Grovesnor and William; although rumour is they've begun rehearsing again.

Anyway, enough about old times, this is a new music blog. The Earth Is A Man have released a very fine album of inventive post-rock packed full of melodic hooks and dynamic structure. The self titled album is up for a pay-what-you-like price on their Bandcamp now.

Hackney Colliery Band : Pigmy Goats

Get a free download of this new track by East London brass ensemble Hackney Colliery Band, whose debut album is out 4th July through Wah Wah 45s.



More at wahwah45s.com.

Galaxy Empire : The Void

'The Void' is 7+ minutes of hypnotic astral rumblings by new outfit Galaxy Empire.

Hong Kong In The 60s : Walking In The Air

Taken from the 'Christmastime, Approximately' album available for free download at wiaiwya.com.

The Octopus Project : Hexadecagon

This is novel. The limited-edition gatefold vinyl release of 'Hexadecagon' by The Octopus Project contains a cut & assemble zoetrope and ten bonus "roulette" tracks that can only be experienced via *analog technology* (ie a record player).



The roulette tracks are bonus songs - all exactly the same length - cut to wax in concentric, interlocked grooves, such that the listener never knows which song is played when the needle is placed on the LP. All ten tracks resolve to the same ending and drop into a single, final locked groove.



Of course this is all a bonus to the standard album, which contains this track.

MP3:
'Fugefat'

More at peekaboorecords.com.

Gala Drop : Overcoat Heat

Portuguese quartet Gala Drop have just released a cool new four track EP 'Overcoat Heat' via Golf Channel Recordings, from which the beautifully driving 'Drop' is taken.

MP3:
'Drop'

More at golfchannelrecordings.com.

Hong Kong In The 60s : Places

Hong Kong In The 60s are offering a free download-only EP: a ramble through an electronic dreamscape of soundtrack and library music-inspired tunes and an exclusive remix by The Advisory Circle.



Hong Kong In The 60s' debut album 'My Fantoms' is scheduled for release in Spring 2011 on Proper Songs. Preview some tracks at the band's Soundcloud.

They can be next see live on 24th November supporting Hype Williams at The Portland Arms in Cambridge and heard live on 20th November on the Exotic Pylon radio show on Resonance 104.4 FM.

More at hongkonginthe60s.com.

Paul White : And Nico

I only received news about this new Paul White Velvet Underground sampling jam less that 24 hours ago and its already sold out on vinyl. Check out what the fuss is about with a pay-what-you-want MP3 at his Bandcamp.



More at onehandedmusic.com.

The Charlatans : Love Is Ending (Horrors Remix)

The Horrors eviscerate The Charlatans' new single 'Love Is Ending' with a drone soundscape *remix*.



More at The Charlatans.

Hackney Colliery Band : Money

Gotta love a bit of brass.

More at Wah Wah 45s.

Ólafur Arnalds : and they have escaped the weight of darkness

Here's more from Icelandic composer Ólafur Arnalds' excellent new album 'and they have escaped the weight of darkness', out now on Erased Tapes.

MP3:
'Þú ert sólin'
'Tunglid'



More at Erased Tapes.

Memories Live Longer Than Dreams

A selection of tracks designed for an afternoon nap.

1. Mazzy Star 'Before I Sleep'
2. The Cardigans 'Laika'
3. The Acorn 'Lullaby (Mountain)'
4. The Bees 'Sky Holds The Sun'
5. Yo La Tengo 'Green Arrow'
6. Benge '1975 Moog Polymoog'
7. Peter Broderick & Machinefabriek 'Homecoming'
8. Sylvain Chauveau 'Ma Contribution Á L'industrie Phonographique'
9. Jóhannsson, Jóhann 'Karen Byr Til Engil'
10. Eric Peters 'Space Service'
11. Helios 'Hollie'
12. Leyland Kirby 'Memories Live Longer Than Dreams'
13. Sharon Van Etten 'Some Dream'
14. North Sea Radio Orchestra 'Guitar Minature #2'
15. Found 'Banjo Tricks'
16. Shocking Pinks 'Wake Up'
17. Broadcast & The Focus Group 'You Must Wake'
18. Miguel Atwood Ferguson & Carlos Nino 'High Heavenly'
19. Remember Remember 'Up In A Blue Light'
20. Daedelus 'Fin De Siéclee'

Ólafur Arnalds : Þú ert sólin

Iceland doesn't just produce ash spewing, aeroplane grounding, sky tinting volcanoes you know, its responsible for a decent amount of musical geniuses too. Neo-classical composer Ólafur Arnalds' second album '...and they have escaped the weight of darkness' is due out in June on Erased Tapes with 'Þú ert sólin' being the first track to appear.

MP3:
Ólafur Arnalds 'Þú ert sólin

More at Erased Tapes.

The Form Group : Four Improvisations

The Form Group is Matt Ashton, guitarist in London 5-piece The Leaf Library and former guitarist in Peel-favourites Saloon. Using guitars, electronics and field recordings he makes experimental and soporific drone music that invokes the looped guitar explorations of Robert Fripp and Brian Eno, the soundtracks of Peter Broderick and the spatial atmospherics of Vladislav Delay and Basic Channel.

‘Four Improvisations’ was recorded direct to minidisc in Reading in 2003 and features delayed guitar, amp hum and the manipulated sounds of a dripping tap. Originally self-released as a CDR this re-release is a fully remastered version with new artwork.

Joined by violinist Alice Lloyd, The Form Group performed an alternative soundtrack to Wim Wenders’ classic ‘Alice in the Cities’ as part of the Reading Experimental Film Festival in October last year.

They are currently working on the next release, a conceptual long form piece tentatively titled ‘Early Morning Songs’.



Buy it here.

The Form Group : Bare Branches Mix

The Form Group is the experimental/improvisational project of The Leaf Library’s guitarist Matthew Ashton. 'Bare Branches' is a mix of favourite artists and influences. 'Four Improvisations' is released on Proper Songs in March.

1. Andrew Bird - Unfolding Fans (Bella Union)
2. The Remote Viewer - You're Going To Love Our Defeat (City Centre Offices)
3. Vladislav Delay - Nesso (Huume)
4. Stars of the Lid and John McCafferty - Anchor States Part One (Kranky)
5. Mount Kimbie - Maybes (Hot Flush)
6. Aaron Martin and Part-Timer - Orchard (Scrumped Mix) (Moteer)
7. Celer - Gaited Florets (Low Point)
8. Deepchord presents Echospace - Winter in Seney (Modern Love)
9. Peter Broderick - Part Seven: The Path to Recovery (Erased Tapes)
10. Blue Daisy Feat. LaNote - Space Ex (Black Acre)
11. Fennesz - Perfume for Winter (Touch)
12. Tortoise - DJed (edit) (City Slang)
13. Robert Henke - Mass Transit Railway (Imbalance)
14. Steve Reich - Electric Counterpoint (Slow) (Nonesuch)
15. Mordant Music - Fading Font (Mordant Music)
16. Kontext - Blinkende Stjerne (Immerse)
17. Broadcast and The Focus Group - What I Saw (Warp)
18. ES - Universaali Totuus (Fonal)
19. Atlas Sound with Laetitia Sadier - Quick Canal (4AD)

Dante : Q&A

Proper Songs chats with Australian artist Dante, discovered via No Pain In Pop.

PS: Tell everyone a bit about yourself and what you're up to.
Well, at the moment I'm living in the Adelaide hills working on finishing up an ep that's been in the works for a while now. I'm also a Compositor/Animator, currently working on a music video for one of the songs off the new ep. I've been in a band BrotherSister for the last few years but I'm starting to focus more now on solo stuff.

PS: As photos on your Myspace show, you have a passion for real instruments and vintage equipment. How does this influence your creative process and sound?
Yeah, I try and get my hands on as much nice old gear as i can, new gear as well, I think even with software having something unfamiliar to play around with always helps when writing new material.

PS: Your music has a distinctly cinematic quality to it, which film would you like to soundtrack and why?
Hmm, not sure about that one, I love the Dancer In The Dark soundtrack, I don't think I'd be wanting to do a musical though, maybe redo something like Storm Boy, that'd be fun!

PS: As we're approaching the end of the year, what's been your highlight and what are you looking forward to in 2010?
Highlight would probably be playing at a big festival here 'Parklife' with my other band, that was a lot of fun, got to watch a heap of great bands side of stage. Looking forward to finally getting my next ep out and to start working on new stuff!

PS: Give us a top 5 of something.
Hot weekend essentials!
1. Waterhole
2. Coffee/beer
3. Skateboard/fishing rod
4. Fruit
5. Scooter

MP3s:
Reb ib
Denwens

Paul White : Sounds From The Skylight

Paul White released a fantastic debut album in June this year with the beautifully packaged (it came in a pillowcase) 'The Strange Dreams of...'. He's just released 'Sounds From The Skylight', named after his attic studio, as a 12" and free download in two parts. The full release features 19 more off centre beats that have as much in common with hip hop as they do with psychedelic rock.

Buy the 12" and download side A here and side B here for free.

Rich Bennett : Music For Underwater Supermarkets

The side project of Rich Bennett from Monocle makes music that brings together the sophisticated pop soundtracks of Burt Bacharach and Ennio Morricone with the electronic detail of Stereolab and Delia Derbyshire. Debut release 'Music For Underwater Supermarkets' features full tracks embellished with horns, vibraphone and flutes divided by minimal soundscape experiments. It works well, providing a respite to either style and keeping ears turned on. If you're a fan of retro-futurist pop such as the High Llamas then this will be up your aisle.

Download 'The Underwater Supermarket'.
Download 'Dreaming In The Lake'.

Buy at Hidden Shoal.

Ólafur Arnalds : Found Songs

Iceland's neo-classical export Ólafur Arnalds created the beautiful series 'Found Songs' over a week in April this year. Recording a song a day he instantly made each track available via Twitter with fans contributing artwork via Flickr. 100,000 downloads later it's now getting a full release on lovely 10" vinyl and CD by Erased Tapes.



Download all the MP3s from foundsongs.erasedtapes.com and then buy it at Erased Tapes.

The Second Release On Proper Songs Is By Special Benny

Available on digital in November, 'Air Filter' is the first track from Special Benny's exceptional debut album 'Toys' out in Spring '010.



propersongs.net/label