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Debacle Fest 2013, Seattle (#27) Mixtape Download & Stream

Samuel Melancon — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:40:16 +0000

music art film review - REDEFINE magazine

Debacle Fest 2013, Seattle (#27) Mixtape Download & Stream

Seattle-based label Debacle Records celebrates its sixth annual Debacle Festival taking place May, 3rd, 4th, and 5th. The three-day event showcases national and local electronic, drone, noise, techno, improvised, metal and synth musicians. This year, the label is proud to partner with community instigator Hollow Earth Radio as non-profit beneficiary. Debacle Fest will be held at our partner venues the FRED Wildlife Refuge, The Highline, and Lo-Fi Performance Gallery. Curated by Samuel Melancon of Debacle Records

www.debaclefest.com

Complete Schedule & Lineup

Friday, May 3rd @ FRED Wildlife Refuge (127 Boylston Ave. E) 8:00pm - $20 door/$15 adv Expo '70 Swahili Plankton Wat Monopoly Child Star Searchers Brain Fruit Panabrite Total Life LA Lungs Secret Colors Saturday May 4th @ Highline (210 Broadway Ave. E) Matinee show at 3:00pm SHARP - $7 Sissy Spacek MTNS BLSPHM WaMu Stan Reed Saturday, May 4th @ FRED Wildlife Refuge (127 Boylston Ave. E) 7:00pm - $20/$15 adv. Date Palms John Wiese Nate Young Golden Retriever Mind Over Mirrors Marielle Jakobsons Gabriel Saloman Morae (Emuul & Hemosis) Biosexual Sunday, May 5th - MOTOR Night @ Lo Fi Performance Gallery (429 Eastlake Ave.) 8:00pm - $20/$15 adv Hieroglyphic Being Moon Pool & Dead Band Strategy GOODWIN Prostitutes Black Hat TJ Max Patternmaster

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Plankton Wat - "Metamorphosis" I have been a big fan of Dewey Mahood for a good while now. A while back, I read an interview where he said somebody he really admires is Justin Wright AKA Expo '70. I had recently released a CD-R of some live jams from Expo '70, and decided to connect those guys. The result is a forthcoming split LP out soon on Debacle. In the meantime, Dewey also has a good history of playing the fest both as Plankton Wat and as a member of Eternal Tapestry.
Biosexual - "Silent Cuts" I have released two albums with Zac Nelson. Biosexual is his new full band project with the equally talented Jocelyn Noir and Michael R. J. Saalman. It is full on electronic psych pop, which makes me think of Dave Fridmann and mid-‘90s Bjork having sex on Trent Reznor's coffee table. Their debut will also be out shortly on Debacle.
Mind Over Mirrors - "You Ain't Reeling" Jamie Fennely actually lived out in the PacNW for a while there, and I had no idea. In fact, he snuck on to Debacle Fest 2010 by jamming with Debacle heavies Dull Knife mere days before he left for Chicago. Ever since, we have been chatting about a way to get him back here for an honest to goodness Mind Over Mirrors set.
Prostitutes - "Dial Tone Degradation" This year is the first year of the fest since we have started MOTOR -- our psychedelic dance series of shows and releases. May 5th, the last night of the fest, is dedicated to joining the MOTOR crew up with national level artist on similar wavelengths for a big night of whacked out jams. Prostitutes is a rising name in the empty expanse between minimal techno and industrial noise. He recently released a new album on Digitalis, Crushed Interior.
Black Hat - "Singing Point" Black Hat is one Nelson Bean, a local Seattle head who has releases coming up from Further Records and Field Hymns. He is one of the most talented and exciting voices coming out of Seattle right now and I am very stoked to be able to work with him time and time again. Don't sleep on this kid.
Moon Pool & Dead Band - "Human Fly" Moon Pool & The Dead Band features Nate Young of Wolf Eyes jamming with his bud Dave Shettler, making freaked out Detroit techno and skunked up electro. Very stoked to be bringing these dudes out for our MOTOR night; their Human Fly album on Not Not Fun is a steady source of inspiration and ideas for the whole MOTOR crew.
GOODWIN - "Ramparts" Scott Goodwin was once a founding member of super drone heads Bonus, and has since been exploring various forms of analog dance and noise with Operative, Polonaise and Vepa. His newly minted solo project is still evolving, but it seems to fit in well next to Polonaise and the now defunct Operative. It is fitting to have Scott be a featured element of the MOTOR evening, as the Operative performance from last year was a key influence in the formation of the whole MOTOR project.
Swahili - "Soma" Swahili should be well known to REDEFINE readers; they seem to have an amazing back story and working relationship with each other. Their amazing album was released on fellow Seattle label Translingustic Other, and their pounding psychedelic whirlwinds will be the perfect cathartic end to the first night of Debacle Fest.
Expo '70 - "Subtle Afterthoughts" Finally: a preview from Expo '70's meditative side, from his split LP with Plankton Wat.

music art film review - REDEFINE magazine

Debacle Fest 2013, Seattle (#27) Mixtape Download & Stream

Cascine Record Label Mixtape: The Sound of Escape Now (#26) Stream

Vivian Hua — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 17:38:35 +0000

music art film review - REDEFINE magazine

Cascine Record Label Mixtape: The Sound of Escape Now (#26) Stream

CASCINE: The Sound of Escape Now

This mixtape is an ode to the tender elegance and unbridled wanderlust of every springtime renewal. It's our way of saying: goodbye endless winter, hello brand new sunshine. Music for floating overseas through seasons of change, following the cyan expanses, or just heading out to the open sky. This is the sound of innocence won back. Take a deep breath, and jump right in. Curation and descriptions by Sandra Croft, Cascine's publicist.

www.cascine.us

AlunaGeorge - "Diver" (Island Records) I don't think I can take another day of this! Why don't we run away somewhere? Could fly to Kingston tonight? High life like everything's alright. Run away to Rio for a while? Maybe visit San Sebastián, keep a low profile. You don't always have to go forward; sometimes you have to escape sideways to find the way ahead. Empress Of - "Hat Trick" (Terrible Records / Double Denim Records) The escape as a process had been going on for quite a while before we recognized it. We felt it vaguely (like being swept away slowly by a warm and soothing spring breeze while you're trying hard to stay focused), but we didn't realize its extent until a few weeks ago. There were no intentions, no plans, no tactics, except for just the opposite, maybe. Erika Spring - "Hidden" (Jensen Sportag Remix) (Cascine) The ultimate feeling of being totally lost, and yet still on to something essential. Air - "Cherry Blossom Girl" (Virgin Records) So you're surely asking yourself, could this be just another one of our playground fantasies? A cheap image, or a way of touching real life? Well, we prefer to think of it like this: how many times can a bolt strike from the blue and still be a bolt from the blue? It's called the sound of escape, and it's right now. Come in nearer, dive in deeper. It will never be this good again. D I A N A - "Born Again" (Forest Family Records) Some destinations are moving away, while others are approaching. The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes. Southern Shores - "Purple Skies" (Cascine) Have you ever been in mid-flight just before sunrise? Everything acquires a halo which is not imaginary. Gazing out of the little porthole window as the deep blue sky, the cloud canopy is illuminated with orange and the sun crowns the horizon. It's undeniably one of the most beautiful views in existence, and just for a moment, all your thoughts float away like the water vapour beneath. Blue Hawaii - "Dream Electrixra" (Arbutus) We're gonna have the best days of our lives. They'll be light like a feather, deep like an ocean. You just need this year's calendar, dear. Watching vapour trails, losing track of time... Air France - "Never Content" (Sincerely Yours) The days were getting longer, and it is time to say goodbye to the endless winter and get in the mood to disappear for a little while. Whether it's into deeper waters or just deep into the night, where you go is always up to you. Forget about all the conditions, occasions, and facts. Time is just going by way too fast, and this year will be over all too quickly. Wouldn't it be all that better if you could remember how you made it slow down just a little bit by listening to this. Ducktails - "Letter of Intent" (Domino Records) "Letter of Intent" is a soft glow to fight off grey clouds, melt the ice, and welcome in a new prismatic reality. Maybe the idea is to stop aiming and let intuition guide you to something capable of transforming everyday existence into something strange and wonderful. Pure Bathing Culture - "Lucky One" (Memphis Industries) Can you believe we just caught the breeze? It's warm like the sunshine and just as fleeting. Time's passing by, but we're moving slow. Floating overseas, circling around the world, averting catastrophe. Who's the lucky one now? Keep Shelly In Athens - "Fokionos Negri Street" (Forest Family Records) Our escape for the winter became the near-perfect spring song. Nothing but a sea of blue separating the seasons. Listen as carefully as you can, again and again, or you may miss out on the most tender form of ecstasy there is.

About Cascine

Cascine is an experimental pop label based in New York and London. It celebrates optimistic pop music guided by intuition. Cascine works with Shine 2009, Chad Valley, Ditt Inre, Erika Spring, Jensen Sportag, Keep Shelly In Athens, Kisses, Rush Midnight, RxGibbs, Selebrities, Southern Shores, Wildarms and World Tour. Curation and descriptions by Sandra Croft, Cascine's publicist, based in London. She often dreams of time machines, swimming pools, solving crimes, eating exquisite meals, flying, the countryside and old manuscripts.

music art film review - REDEFINE magazine

Cascine Record Label Mixtape: The Sound of Escape Now (#26) Stream

FEEL YOU (#25) SXSW 2013 Unofficial House Party Mixtape

Gina Altamura — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 16:47:22 +0000

music art film review - REDEFINE magazine

FEEL YOU (#25) SXSW 2013 Unofficial House Party Mixtape

REDEFINE magazine, Pour Le Corps, Clumsy N Shy & Holocene present...
FEEL YOU: a house party at the intersection of psych and dance
Saturday, March 16th, 2013 @ House Of Commons 2610 Rio Grande St., Austin, TX 3:00pm - Late ALWAYS FREE, ALL-AGES, DIY & 100% UNAFFILIATED W/ SXSW AND OH YEAH +++ FREE BEER +++ RSVP ON FACEBOOK Good things come in threes. Three months after the world hasn't ended, the all-female booking trifecta of Marjorie Owens (label owner of Pour Le Corps and influential blog Clumsy N Shy), Gina Altamura (talent buyer at innovative Portland nightclub Holocene), and Vivian Hua (Editor-in-Chief of REDEFINE magazine) return to SXSW for the third year in a row. We call upon this heap of holy trinities to inspire ferocious whimsy at yet another free, all-ages, and unofficial house party for all who are weak and worn from the usual festival circuit. An oasis for mythic musics at SXSW 2013, FEEL YOU is all about creating clarity, harmony and POSI VIBES in an oft-overwhelming week of chaos. Our focus is on music that muddles introspective psychedelia with exuberant dance, so expect revelry and epiphanies. FEEL YOU blesses showgoers throughout its duration first and foremost with a GOOD ZONE -- while also boasting an excellent lineup, attention to audiovisual delights, a profusion of girl power, and - uh - plenty of FREE BEER. Join us in the spirit of liveliness (or even just post-non-apocalyptic aliveness) in the year 2013! TRANSCENDING SOCIAL CONSTRUCTS ++ REVELING IN SHARED PARADIGMS

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Midday Veil - "The Current" (Translinguistic Other) Seattle's prolific Midday Veil have taken over their hometown with art installations, video projections, curation efforts, and plenty of musical genre-mixing. They are busy folks, and the latest result of their efforts is their forthcoming self-released album, The Current. The album offers quite the spread of guitar-driven ass-kicking and droned-out synth-heavy space jams, but "The Current", as album opener, serves as an apt reminder of the band's strengths to combine those two elements into (pretty extended) pop songs. __ VIVIAN HUA
Rites Wild - "Rites Wild Theme" (Not Not Fun) On "Rites Wild Theme", Australia's Stacey Wilson excavates the deepest of her homeland's mysteries and brings them to the surface, where she buffs them soiled diamonds to a shine, slowly and patiently. What starts off with droney vocals and slow dubbed out basslines soon turns cosmic, thanks to some major delay action and harp-like washes that glitter. __ VIVIAN HUA
eyes wings and many other things - "Long Lost" (Pour Le Corps) MIXTAPE-EXCLUSIVE TRACK Empty your mind, relax, and eyes wings and many other things' "Long Lost" can take you on a pretty magical journey. The repetition of the drums and bass conjures up a tribal vibe in which the Moog and ghostly vocals keep you adrift. The slight shifts of movement and sound are a pleasant brain wash that can take you from the shore of a beach into the galaxies. This track comes from the band's forthcoming album, Long Lost. __ MARJORIE OWENS
Rose Windows - "Native Dreams" (Sub Pop Records) Another REDEFINE writer recently (and lovingly) referred to Seattle's Rose Windows as a "poor man's Black Mountain", and the reference isn't just used because both bands drink from the same rain-fed waters of the Pacific Northwest. The new Sub Pop signees' latest single, "Native Dreams", certainly has folk elements; but without ever getting too woodsy, they tangle up the backcountry with far out guitars, androgynous vocals, and super super super righteous organ wizardry (seriously, that guy...) to create quite the flurry of psychedelic energy. __ VIVIAN HUA
Darktown Strutters - "Silver Bullet" With "Silver Bullet", Darktown Strutters throw down a vibe like none other, that's part sexy secretary, part private eye, and good portions of playful funkiness for your ears (and more importantly, your ass). Darktown Strutters are a band that, echoing the cover of the '70s blaxploitation film of the same name, encourages you to "GET DOWN AND BOOGIE!", possibly in ways more tantalizing and freaky than you might be used to. __ VIVIAN HUA
Psychic Twin - "Strangers" (Polyvinyl Records) Chicago-based electropop group Psychic Twin are a last-minute addition to our SXSW showcase! The universe of music that Psychic Twin reside in is one of glowing, radiant dance pop with ethereal female vocal stylings -- and though that certainly isn't anything ground-breaking by description, it is always the sleight tricks that make one great band stand out from other mediocre similarities. Something about vocalist Erin Fein's breathy mumble-melodies just tickle me in the right ways to make Psychic Twin stand out from the others, and in "Strangers", the layers of vocal effects create a hypnotic element that touches the psychedelic sphere with respectable subtlety. __ VIVIAN HUA
Wampire - "Spirit Forest" (Polyvinyl Records) Upon hearing a title like "Spirit Forest," a Studio Ghibli fable of lovable enchanted creatures springs to mind. However, the Portland-based duo of Rocky Tinder and Eric Phipps are exploring the dark underbelly of dream-pop, crafting tunes which trade the wispily ethereal for the utterly eerie. In this dark forest of the Wampiric mythical landscape, Ariel Pink might be the reigning chief banshee. Ariel, that dream warrior for warped pop, could understand the youthful urgency that brings the yearning and pining of a pop song romance to staggering intensity. It's a tense yet captivating magic at play here, as Wampire skillfully straddles weirdo-pop surrealism and the visceral thrills of garage rock. Indeed, a carefully balanced tension seems at the very root of "Spirit Forest": that buoyant, funky rhythm section which stays steadily insistent despite being occasionally drowned out by menacing organ dirges. __ GINA ALTAMURA
BRAINSTORM - "She Moves" (Tender Loving Empire) Portland-based beatific pop trio Brainstorm have churned up another sonic delight at which to marvel. "She Moves" is one of their most overtly psychedelic and heavily intoxicating jams yet. As drummer/vocalist Adam Baz sings of falling prey to some particularly seductive feminine wiles, we find ourselves caught up in a whirling sensory rush, equal parts beautiful and delirious. The compelling psych-pop voyage is made all the more intriguing thanks to Patrick Phillips' distinctive guitar technique, which brilliantly incorporates elements of African Highlife into the mix. The sound is something like "Strawberry Alarm Clock" crash-landing in the Sahara, and the imagery evoked is of a vixen in a Mod mini-dress stepping out of the grainy black & white of a Troggs video and into a technicolor rose garden. Light some incense before you click the play button on this one; it's all about indulging the senses. __ GINA ALTAMURA
Delicate Steve - "Afria Talks To You" (Luaka Bop) New Jersey's Steve Marion, aka Delicate Steve, is my personal Guitar God. Always one to be drawn to story songs, latching onto narratives first, I was pleasantly surprised with myself when his second album, Positive Force -- an entirely wordless record -- became one of my most beloved releases of 2012. What draws me in so powerfully is the sheer euphoria expressed here, the warmth and triumph that Marion conveys so cleverly with his instrument. The songs feel absolutely life-affirming, and we're given just enough context clues to reassure us that the feeling is right on. There are clues in the song titles like "Positive Force" and "Love", sure, but also in Steve's presence at his live shows, wherein his radiant optimism is contagious. __ GINA ALTAMURA
Ethereal And The Queer Show - "Horse" (Pour Le Corps) "Horse" is named appropriately; right out of the gate, its electric gallop and wispy vocals create a magical landscape. The Portland duo's dream pop jam immediately draws you in and is one of those rare gems you want to listen to on repeat. And don't be surprised when you find yourself humming it days after your last listen. It sticks with you in such a good way. __ MARJORIE OWENS
Diamond Age - "The Shoreline" (Pour Le Corps) If one were to imagine the coastal edges that Diamond Age are referring to in "The Shoreline", they certainly wouldn't be the simple west coast of the United States or even the singularly-defined boot of Italy. No, more likely, the shoreline would be of the kind seen in fractal nations, of neverending length, which can be measured into infinity as one zooms in closer and closer. From the first moments of the track, one gets caught in a intricate web of mazed electronics, and it's hard to ever free oneself from their spinning. __ VIVIAN HUA
Beca - "Born To Fly (Morgan Wiley Remix)" (This Is Music Ltd) MIXTAPE-EXCLUSIVE TRACK Julliard-trained musician Beca is a one-lady petite powerhouse, with a repetoire that is wide, wide, wide-reaching. On the original version of her single "Born To Fly", Beca works around varied tropical percussion, shots of laser beams (!), and springy basslines to bring forth her crystal clear vocals. Here, with a remix by Morgan Wiley of Midnight Magic, her music turns into a club-heavy banger over the course of seven-and-a-half-minutes. __ VIVIAN HUA
Xander Harris - "Agriplex" (Not Not Fun) MIXTAPE-EXCLUSIVE TRACK Imagine it's 3013. You're in a spinner hovering over a space highway in the midst of a chase with Mad Max-like fugitives. In comes Xander Harris, aka Justin Sweatt of Austin. "Agriplex" is a sci-fi jam for a dystopian world -- but it's not a song for a world completely without hope; its rhythmic, electronic tones give off an energy that shines for a utopian change that leaves us feeling there's hope for those organic bots yet. This is an unreleased b-side from Chrysalid. __ MARJORIE OWENS

music art film review - REDEFINE magazine

FEEL YOU (#25) SXSW 2013 Unofficial House Party Mixtape

Shy Boys Fly Girls K-Pop Mixtape (#24) Download & Stream

Ingmar Carlson — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 02:46:43 +0000

music art film review - REDEFINE magazine

Shy Boys Fly Girls K-Pop Mixtape (#24) Download & Stream

With PSY having achieved billionaire/Bieber-destroyer status just in time for the holidays, here's a mix of not-so-Gangnam s(e)oul jams to recap 2012 and usher in the new year. These aren't quite for the club; they're more for staying in -- with your boo, or just you -- and making it through the rest of the winter. And you'd better make it, because 2013 is gonna be the Year of the K-Dragon. (Silly rabbit, snakes are for planes.) Curated by Ingmar Carlson of Shy Girls Editor's Note: Given the valued aesthetics of the K-Pop industry, each of these tracks is paired not only with a track and MP3, but a killer music video as well. Enjoy.

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Jay Park - "Come On Over" // 박재범 - 놀러와

Turn off your phone, girl. Listen up. It's Jay Park. Think of him as a 25-year-old Korean evocation of Usher, if you like, or even the solution to Frank Ocean's inability to read Hangul. Ultimately, there's little need to situate him, though; Park is truly a singular talent. He actually writes the bulk of his own material, and in the context of K-Pop, that rather lends him the carriage of a polar bear walking through a tropical rainforest. He's also American, hailing from Seattle. Allen Huang of SSG Music and JKPOP! told me he was a childhood friend. One day his mother asked, "Whatever happened to your friend Jay?" He'd skipped town and become a star. www.jaypark.com + www.instagram.com/jparkitrighthere
Jay Park - "Turn Off Your Phone" // 박재범 - 전화기를 꺼놔
BigBang - "Bad Boy" / 빅뱅 - "Bad Boy"

Naughty or nice, five-guy supergroup BigBang have certainly been the K-Boys of the year. The NYTimes called them the "true wild heart of K-Pop," and Alive made it on fuse's top 40 albums of 2012. "Bad Boy" is a masterpiece. Sure, "Fantastic Baby" will keep folks on the floor, and it's perfect for rudely awaking your roomies, but it can be a bit much in your headphones. "Bad Boy" is truly a jam for all seasons. The MV is already a classic. It finds the boys in Williamsburg trying to kick it, albeit to no avail, with what looks like a choice selection of Russian supermodels. (Really, it's only one instance of this hyper-urban-industrial MV style that YG Entertainment has been harping on lately. The "Blue" MV, for instance, is essentially the same idea. No sense in arguing over which is better. Your choice. Drop it on me.) ygfamily.com
EXO - "What Is Love"

EXO is S.M. Entertainment's newest project, a prototype pitch at taking Chairman Lee Soo-man's theory of ,cultural technology' to the next level. EXO actually conssts of two distinct detachments: EXO-K, which is the Korean contingent, and EXO-M, which is the Mandarin export, each made up of a specific set of six members. This shotgun method enables SM to tailor the same material to linguistically disparate markets with the utmost precision. It's a novel strategy, even brilliant. (It's also all you need to take your table tennis game to the next level, btw: a Chinese offense and a Korean defense.) That isn't to say, however, that both versions of this track are equally successful; I do think the song works much better in Korean. The two iterations intimate something of the substantive phonetic unity of music and language. Just as in poetry, the identity of any lyrical-melodic idea in vocal music is inextricable from the language in which it is articulated: the phoneme, well before the word itself, is as much a part of the thought as its pitch and rhythmic placement. I suspect that this song was written first in Korean and later translated, which might be why the Mandarin sounds rather forced at times. That said, you gotta love the wushu-style moves in the Chinese edition of the video. For me it's really been a toss-up between this and "Bad Boy," and I'm leaning towards EXO. exo-k.smtown.com + exo-m.smtown.com
TVXQ! – "Destiny" // 동방신기 - "Destiny"

Since their debut circa 2004, TVXQ (aka DongBangShinGi or "Rising Gods of the East") have proven to be one of SM's soundest investments. "Destiny" is one of the under-plugged standouts on their latest full-length Catch Me, and not least because of that kick and snare. It straddles the line between a true jam and pure balladry, weaving seamlessly from one idiom to the other. To be honest, when I put on Catch Me, I generally skip the title track/single and head straight for this and the other chiller (filler) spots on the record. It gives me the feeling that Chairman Lee hasn't been playing his best mens' strongest hand, though "Humanoids" might be enough to shut me up on that score. tvxq.smtown.com + dbskconfessions.tumblr.com
BtoB – "U&I" // 비투비 - "U&I"
BtoB (Born to Beat) are Cube Entertainment's latest offering, "U&I" being one of my favorites off their second mini-album Press Play. K-Pop has managed to safeguard the delectable kind of acoustic guitar stylings that flourished in the peak years of '90s pop and R&B, which have lamentably fallen into disuse. Wonder Girls' "Girlfriend" (below) is another great example.
btobofficial.com
Super Junior – "From U" // 슈퍼주니어 - "너로부터"

I caught my first glimpse of K-Pop unwittingly, on a billboard in Seoul. It was an epic hi-def composite of a troop of model-level dudes with unrealistically well-did hair, accompanied by the moniker 'Super Junior' (a lot like this only bigger, better, and not a desktop wallpaper made by a Filipina Fangirl). I hadn't the slightest idea what it referred to: a fashion label? a hair salon? a lifestyle? The answer came later while I was flipping channels at my hotel and stumbled upon a music network. There it was again. (If memory serves, it was "Mr. Simple" video. I was glued to the tube for at least two hours thereafter, and I've been addicted to the stuff ever since.) superjunior.smtown.com
Girls' Generation - "Love Sick" // 소녀시대 - "Love Sick"
I initially conceived this as an all-K-Boy mix, but those hits at 1:08 virtually kicked the wind out of my musical chauvinism -- with heels. I can't get over those greasy gospel guitar gestures à la maniere d'Angelo. Girls' Generation (aka SNSD) are bonafide K-Girl royalty. They figure heavily in The New Yorker's article on K-Pop by John Seabrook. www.girlsgenerationusa.com
Ailee – "My Love" (Feat. Swings) // 에일리 - "My Love" (feat. 스윙스)"
While rookie of the year Ailee's debut single "Heaven" sounded something like K-Perry/K-Clarkson, "My Love" is a hidden gem that takes K-Girl R&B nearly to the point of period accuracy (i.e. Aileeyah) without sounding too 'dated.' The synth-bass and e-piano on this track are almost too good to be heard, Swings featured verse is right in the pocket, and Ailee's delivery is absolutely exquisite. This is pure K–R&B gold. www.facebook.com + www.ymcent.com
G.NA – "(Drop It (Cut It Off))" // 최지나 - "때려 쳐"

If I didn't know any better I'd think this was Jay Park before the vocals came in. (The opener on Bloom does feature Jay, after all, so I suppose I wouldn't be too off base.) G.NA is effectively his female counterpart, being Canadian-born–raised just across the border in Vancouver, BC -- and those common roots show. Both betray a palpably new-world sensibility in their work. I wonder if they'd ever date (publicly). The global netizenry would soil itself. www.playgna.com
Wonder Girls – "Girlfriend" // 원더걸스 - "Girlfriend"]

Perhaps no other K-Pop group has been as fiercely marketed in the States as Park Jin-young's flagship Wonder Girls. His dreams of crossover success have seen them on tour with the Jonas Bros, on a bill with Bieber, starring in Disney made-for-TV movie, and featuring Akon on a recent single (right). "Girlfriend" is one of the big hooks on their latest release Wonder Party, the smoother correlate to the dance-ready single "Like This". The Girls are currently on an extended hiatus. Perhaps they'll be back Stateside after the dust has settled from the BigBang (but by then things might look a whole lot different around here). www.wondergirlsworld.com
miss A – "If I Were a Boy" // 미쓰에이 - "남자 없이 잘 살아"
"If I were a boy it wouldn't be this hard / If I'm over you I'd laugh after remembering nothing." Hey girl, That's sexist. Don't sell yourself short. If you were a boy you'd be a shy girl, and I really mean that as a compliment. Besides, you're an independent lady: you don't need a man. All the same I've been thinking... Coffee some time? Also, are you really into Beyonce? www.missaworld.com

music art film review - REDEFINE magazine

Shy Boys Fly Girls K-Pop Mixtape (#24) Download & Stream

AyeAyeAye Tapes Escapes Soundscapes Mixtape (#23) Stream & Download

Vivian Hua — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 20:11:29 +0000

music art film review - REDEFINE magazine

AyeAyeAye Tapes Escapes Soundscapes Mixtape (#23) Stream & Download

One time for your mind is the Aye Aye Aye Tapes Escapes Soundscapes Mixtape, just in time for tours for our bands Eets Feats and Low Times. While thousands of miles are covered, some of our favorite jams from friends will send ripples from our ears to your toes and cripple all bummer vibes to a pulp. All bands on this mix are friends, favorites, and/or involved in current or future releases with Aye Aye Aye Tapes Escapes. Curated by Michael

Download Mixtape As One Track (58.7 MB) Stream Entire Mixtape

Rayon Beach - "Airplanes With Tits" A trio based out of Austin, TX that has releases with such labels as Hozac and Burger has been one of our favorite bands in the city for many years, and we love this song! I also love how consistently rad this band is, and you will too. This track is from their full-length entitled This Looks Serious, out on Burger Records.
Catholic Spray - "Amazon Hunt" New friends from France that have a future split tape coming out on Aye Aye Aye Tapes Escapes with Eets Feats. The split will be the first time their sounds have been released in the U.S. for some crazy reason, and we are happy to do it. Let this song punch you in the head!
Gory Details - "Pyramid Is Not A Tomb" A new brand of horror-lovin' creeps from Austin, TX quickly became one of my favorite bands to hear and especially see because fog machine and blood capsules are always on deck. Dig this track from their full-length, Killer Waves recorded and released by these awesome fellows.
Ghetto Ghouls - "Atomic Bomb" From the ashes of the forever-missed These Are Words of Austin, TX came the Ghetto Ghouls: a lo-fi, punk trio that carries the torch and burns on. Recordings were done by their drummer Ian for their upcoming full-length so keep your ears up for more beautiful noise from these gents.
Naked Pictures - "Information Wars" From west Texas in Lubbock came a few dudes who would make music that we would jam over and over again. Other bands included Psychic Flowers, La Panza, and The Numerators. Love it all! This song is from their full-length, Don't Lose Your Dinosaur, recorded and released by the band on cassette tape.
Spokesmodel - "Guilty Fetus" New band making big noises in San Antonio, TX, comprised of some of the most talented people from our hometown that have always given us music to be stoked about. Big ups to Fruit Punch, Ovary Action, Crotch On Fire, Colonia, Kill The Peace! Song comes from their first release, and we can't wait to hear more.
Patsy - "No Vicodin" I'm happy to say that San Antonio, TX will always have this band because it is tied to memories of some of the funnest shows I've ever been to. These new recordings from a session with Aye Aye Aye Tapes Escapes have traded the drum machine for a real drummer, and it sounds sick.
Eets Feats - "Creep Show" A 3-piece from San Antonio, TX creating, recording, and releasing stuff under the Aye Aye Aye Tapes Escapes collective for three years. The song is from a recording session at Las Olas Recordings in Georgetown, TX with Tim Dittmar and will be out on tape on a split with Catholic Spray of France sometime in January.
P.B.L.C. - "Ain't Nothing Alright When You Got Everything" Friends from San Antonio, TX who would always travel and then reconvene in their hometown to write music that always makes me smile. This song is from their second release entitled I Just Wanna Do Some Coke & Go To Sleep, produced by P.B.L.C. and Tim Fury.
Ribera - "Chusma" Ribera is a bedroom project of a friend in Austin, TX who was nice enough to let us use one of his tracks because we all really love it. It has definitely been one of those songs I can drive to for miles and miles. Please enjoy responsibly.
Low Times - "Your Love Is Color" The bedroom project of the co-owner of Aye Aye Aye Tapes in Austin, TX has this little ditty that will be on an upcoming release sooner than later. But for now, just get sucked into your own head while enjoying the sweet sound swell.
Hidden Ritual - "You're No Friend Of Mine" An Austin, TX band that blew me away the first time I saw them. Very hard not to dance to hypnotic psych jams with bass lines that lay down groovy law. (Side Note: check out another project members of this band were in called Horse Plus Donkey. So good!) .
The Zoltars - "If It Were Up To Me" Some of the nicest people ever are in this band, and Jared Zoltar is a very sick songwriter. This song from their debut LP, Should I Try Once More? is out on tape with Burger and on vinyl with Sundae Records of Austin, TX. It is one of my favzzz from the release, but they're all good. Check out the videos filmed by Jared Zoltar for each song on the LP!
Rose Windows - "Summertime" Two friends moved up from San Antonio to Seattle and started this amazing band that produces a large sound that reminds you of so many classic influences with a new spin. This song is on a split tape release with Kingdom of The Holy Sun on Aye Aye Aye Tapes Escapes and was recorded by Randal Dunn in Seattle, WA. Get lost in it.
American Sharks - "a XVI" An Austin, TX band with a huge sound and belted out vocals that pummel you while driven bass lines enforce crunchy guitar licks. Live shows are rad and so are the recordings on this 7" released on the drummer's own label Pau Wau Recordings.
Milli Mars - "YMID" One of the best hip-hop acts to come out of San Antonio, TX in a long while, and it is about time too! Loud and Sinister, Milli Mars and his clan of Wiz Kids' debut LP YMID is perfect for anyone who wants new good hip-hop from someone who loves doing it.

music art film review - REDEFINE magazine

AyeAyeAye Tapes Escapes Soundscapes Mixtape (#23) Stream & Download

Boomarm Nation’s Deep Listening Mixtape (#22) Stream & Download

Vivian Hua — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 19:16:00 +0000

music art film review - REDEFINE magazine

Boomarm Nation’s Deep Listening Mixtape (#22) Stream & Download

REDEFINE magazine, record label Boomarm Nation, and Portland nightclub Holocene are collaborating together on an evening for zoning out and tuning in to exploratory and diverse new sounds. Ambient, dub, psychedelic, minimal, and experimental tracks, with reference points in the global and otherworldly, will submerge listeners in a hypnotic world that stresses meaningful listening experiences over mindless fleeting ones. The event will take place at Holocene on October 14th, 2012, and will feature sounds from Portland musicians like Strategy, Ethernet, Daniel Menche, Gulls, and Invisible Ziggurat, with projections by E*Rock and VEE. This mixtape serves as a preview of the Deep Listening experience to come, and follows with a breakdown of all of the performers' works -- including an exclusive new track from the well-reputed Strategy. FACEBOOK INVITE Curated and Mixed by Jesse Munro Johnson of Gulls and Boomarm Nation

DOWNLOAD MP3

TRACKLISTING Lucky Dragons - Clipped Gongs Gas - Side D - POP Echospace - Orbiting Tim Hecker - Currents to Electrostasy Ethernet - Kansai Alva Noto - M03 Vladislav Delay - The Second Quarter Walter Carlos - Fall Echospace - Lisbon Rhythm and Sound - Roll Off / B Sound People - Plastic Bag Mobile Kudsi Erguner - Ulvi CV313 - Beyond the Clouds (reprise)

TRANSCENDING SOCIAL CONSTRUCTS ++ REVELING IN SHARED PARADIGMS

Strategy

Closing out the Deep Listening evening will be Portland musician Strategy. It will be his first headlining gig in Portland in several years, and his latest full-length, released by LA's Peak Oil, has been getting rave reviews (see: Rhapsody and XLR8R). The exclusive track below comes from his forthcoming Boomarm Nation release, which will be out December 4th, 2012 on cassette and digital formats.

E*Rock

Eric Mast, also known as E*Rock, is a musician, DJ, artist, and video artist who will be crafting visuals for Strategy for the evening.

Ethernet

Into the Woods by Ethernet

Deep Listening will be the record release show for Ethernet's latest record, Into The Woods, out on TAMARACKmusic. Expect a nature-inspired foray into ambient, drone, and deep house soundscapes, with visuals by VEE. Some tracks from the record will be played, and you can stream it in its entirety to the right.

Daniel Menche

Prolific Portland musician Daniel Menche is excited to take this opportunity to play a mellower set than his usual.

Gulls

Label owner, DJ, musician, and event curator Gulls will spin an array of sounds for the evening, similar to the ones in this mixtape he crafted.

Invisible Ziggurat

Invisible Ziggurat, also known as Neglect, will double-up with Gulls on DJ duty for the evening.

Press

Portland Mercury: DEEP LISTENING: STRATEGY, ETHERNET, GULLS, DJ INVISIBLE ZIGGURAT (Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) Working the soul out of a drum machine is no problem for Strategy, AKA Paul Dickow, who indulges us with ever-evolving forms of electronica—most recently delving into a futurized pop with vintage flair. A multi-instrumentalist and veteran producer, Dickow has continued to explore many different styles including ambient, experimental, and straight-up dance music with stellar results. Expect a live performance filled with any combination of drum machines, noisemakers, and synthesizers synced up to lay the groundwork for some impressive improvisation. The night's festivities are presented in part by forward-thinking arts and culture publication Redefine magazine and the experimental Boomarm Records. They have put together an exotic blend of ambient artistry sure to send you into an otherworldly orbit. - CHRISTINA BROUSSARD Willamette Week: Strategy, Ethernet, Daniel Menche, Gulls (DJ set), Invisible Ziggurat (DJ set) [SPACE IS THE PLACE] The subtitle for this incredible lineup of electronic and experimental performers is "Deep Listening," which speaks volumes about how far down a sonic wormhole you can go with everyone involved. To help you not get lost along the way, we encourage you to hold on tightly to the reggae-speckled house grooves of Strategy, Paul Dickow's longtime musical project that just released an electrifying self-titled album on Peak Oil Records, and Tim Gray's solo synth-drone experience known as Ethernet, also on board to celebrate Temples, a collection of songs created in a state of trance meditation. - ROBERT HAM Ω

music art film review - REDEFINE magazine

Boomarm Nation’s Deep Listening Mixtape (#22) Stream & Download

Good To Die Records Compilation MP3 Download & Stream

Vivian Hua — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 15:48:42 +0000

music art film review - REDEFINE magazine

Good To Die Records Compilation MP3 Download & Stream

There's something about the Seattle water that breeds a polarizing beast with has two voices: one indie-woodsy crooning and one gritty, dirty growling. Our friends at the Emerald City's Good To Die Records have just released a Summer 2012 compilation pimping Pacific Northwest bands we know and love. Though Good To Die's roster is so small that the 13-track mixtape has some doubling up, it is full of heavy hitters that have really made themselves known on the local hard rock scene and beyond, including Absolute Monarchs, Sandrider, Dog Shredder and Monogamy Party, Deadkill, and Brokaw. Stream and download the entire mixtape below, and it follows with special attention on two of the labels newest signees, who happen to be offering exclusives on this mixtape. From Portland comes the dapperly-dressed, anti-Bible-thumping Gaytheist, and the punishing and screeching Rabbits.

2012 Compilation by Various Artists

Gaytheist @ Kenton Club, Portland A member of the Reno band Elephant Rifle recently shared that Gaytheist stole the night at their show at The Know. On this mixtape, "Condemn The Condemners" comes from the Portland trio's upcoming full-length Stealth Beats, which comes out on August 21st, and the video below shows some of Gaytheist's queer (meaning: peculiar, as well as gay) charms. Rabbits @ The Star Theatre Sludge-punk confusion comes full force via Portland's Rabbits, for whom online information is hard to come by. Ω

music art film review - REDEFINE magazine

Good To Die Records Compilation MP3 Download & Stream

Hands In The Dark Records Mixtape (#21) Stream & Download

Vivian Hua — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 01:26:23 +0000

music art film review - REDEFINE magazine

Hands In The Dark Records Mixtape (#21) Stream & Download

Hands In The Dark was born at the end of a boozy party in 2010! What could have ended up just a brilliant idea and a short-lived story became the start of a great musical adventure, bringing together two lovers of "unclassified" music. Hands In the Dark pulls together various sounds with the common feature of mixing pop and experimental music. Grouping them under the title 'Expop' music, HITD has quickly reached its 12th release comprising CD's, vinyl and even tapes. HITD also means ''DIY''. We build everything from top to bottom, from contact with the bands we love to sending out the parcels. We always preserve our freedom with no artistic pressure. Such is the great enterprise of HITD. In short, a French label with a certain je-ne-sais-quoi... Thanks to Amélie and Alice...

Curation & Translation by Morgan & Onito; Additional Translation by Jeff Diteman Hands In The Dark est né fin 2010 lors d'une soirée arrosée! Ce qui aurait pu s'apparenter à une fulgurance doublée d'une histoire sans lendemain n'était en fait que le début d'une belle aventure musicale réunissant deux amis passionnés de musiques inclassables. Hands In The Dark rassemble des sonorités diverses et ayant pour dénominateur commun un côté expérimental allié à un versant pop. Rassemblé sous l'étiquette d' «Expop music», le catalogue du label comptera bientôt 12 références... Cd's, vinyles mais aussi cassettes. HITD, c'est aussi l'importance du côté « DIY ». Tout est de A à Z géré par nos soins, de la prise de contact avec les groupes que l'on aime à l'envoi des disques. Aucune entrave à notre liberté, aucune contrainte artistique... Tel est le vaste chantier de HITD. Merci à Amélie et Alice.

Mixtape Stream & Download

Stream the entire mixtape here, or see the full post for descriptions in French and English, as well as a download of the entire mix. Download Hands In The Dark Records Mixtape (126 MB) See all REDEFINE magazine mixtapes

1. Lee Noble - "Woman In The Dunes"

[audio:http://www.redefinemedia.net/downloads/mixtapes/021/(01)_Lee-Noble_Woman-In-The-Dunes.mp3|titles=Lee Noble - Woman In The Dunes]

Un vacillement permanent nourri de visions nocturnes où synthés et guitares se tiennent la main. On atteint ici des sommets difficilement égalables.

An unfaltering vibration, nourished by nocturnal visions where synths and guitars go hand in hand. Lee Noble makes us climb as high as a mountain top, hardly reachable.

2. Ensemble Economique - "Your Hands, Your Lips, Your EYES, Your Hips"

[audio:http://www.redefinemedia.net/downloads/mixtapes/021/(02)_Ensemble-Economique_Your-Hands-Your-Lips-Your-EYES-Your-Hips.mp3|titles=Ensemble Economique - Your Hands, Your Lips, Your EYES, Your Hips]

Rencontre mutante entre kosmiche musik et minimalisme synthétique, la musique de Ensemble Economique magnifie la volatilité des sentiments dont la logique n'est autre qu'émotion.

Seen as the mutant music-child of an illicit encounter between Kosmiche Musik and synthetic Minimalism, Ensemble Economique's sound magnifies the volatility of those moments when rationale gives way to pure emotion on a new scale.

3. Je Suis Le Petit Chevalier - "Amish Amish Land"

[audio:http://www.redefinemedia.net/downloads/mixtapes/021/(03)_Je-Suis-Le-Petit-Chevalier_Amish-Amish-Land.mp3|titles=Je Suis Le Petit Chevalier - Amish Amish Land]

La musique de Félicia Atkinson aka JSLPC est constituée de pièces expérimentales qui se vivent comme des traversées de contrées inconnues, tantôt hostiles, tantôt enchantées et émouvantes... La bande son de votre imaginaire.

The music of Felicia Atkinson, aka JSLPC, is made of experimental bits that must be taken as the crossing of unknown lands, sometimes hostile, sometimes enchanting and moving... Your imagination's soundtrack.

4. Lumerians - "Track 1"

[audio:http://www.redefinemedia.net/downloads/mixtapes/021/(04)_Lumerians_Track-1.mp3|titles=Lumerians - Track 1]

De l'Afrique à l'Allemagne en passant par le Brésil et New York, ces visionnaires boulimiques de la musique insolente, créent un rythme hypnotique, incantatoire et écrasé qui sabote les figures de tes idées reçues, fracasse la terre et élargit brutalement ta crâne.

From Africa to Germany, from Brazil to NYC, these bulimic visionaries of disobedient music produce a hypnotic, incantatory, and smashed groove that botches your preconceptions, shatters the ground, and monstrously widens your skull.

5. Death And Vanilla - "Cul-De-Sac"

[audio:http://www.redefinemedia.net/downloads/mixtapes/021/(05)_Death-And-Vanilla_Cul-De-Sac.mp3|titles=Death And Vanilla - Cul-De-Sac]

L’une des idylles vespérales les plus intenses et troublantes de l'année 2012... Sensuelle, minimaliste et magnifique!

One of the most vivid and troubling crepuscular idyls of the year 2012... Sensual, minimal, and magnificent music!

6. Sacred Harp - "Brother Green"

[audio:http://www.redefinemedia.net/downloads/mixtapes/021/(06)_Sacred-Harp_Brother-Green.mp3|titles=Sacred Harp - Brother Green]

Alternant entre acoustique virtuose et mantras criblés de sitar et de bourdonnement continu, Daniel Bachman aka Sacred Harp fait figure de chaman sonique qui ne trouve son compte que dans le geste incantatoire.

Between virtuoso acoustics and mantras that are riddled with sitars and perpetual humming, Daniel Bachman aka Sacred Harp stands as a sound shaman who satisfies himself only with incantatory gestures.

7. Holy Strays - "Peaceful Rain"

[audio:http://www.redefinemedia.net/downloads/mixtapes/021/(07)_Holy-Strays_Peaceful-Rain.mp3|titles=Holy Strays - Peaceful Rain]

Holy Strays est le nom de plume adopté d’un jeune producteur à Paris qui fournit des rythmes à la fois massifs et intimes. Ses paysages subtils conduisent à une communion entre la transe et la contemplation.

Holy Strays is the adopted nom de plume of a young Paris-based producer, who delivers equally massive and intimate beats. His subtle soundscapes lead to communion, between trance and contemplation.

8. Cankun - "Your Fingers The Snakes"

[audio:http://www.redefinemedia.net/downloads/mixtapes/021/(08)_Cankun_Your-Fingers-The-Snakes.mp3|titles=Cankun - Your Fingers The Snakes]

Rêveur impénitent, Vincent Caylet imagine de savants cocktails sonores collant parfaitement à une fin d'été brulant. Une sorte de paradis balnéaire perdu où les guitares hawaïennes flottent sur des boucles musicales ondulantes...

Inveterate dreamer, Vincent Caylet imagines clever sound cocktails that perfectly match the ending of a burning summer. A kind of lost seaside paradise, where Hawaiian guitars drift on undulating musical waves.

9. Co La - "Love Nest"

[audio:http://www.redefinemedia.net/downloads/mixtapes/021/(09)_Co-La_Love-Nest.mp3|titles=Co La - Love Nest]

Des fragments allant du Hip Hop aux girls band des ‘60s, du classique au reggae, du jazz au chant traditionnels qui sont ensuite découpés, recoupés, collés, mélangés, mixées, dissèqués et réinventés... Ce savant mélange donne des morceaux absolument neufs, pop et complétement avant-gardiste. Une des proposition musicale les plus étonnantes du moment.

Bits from hip-hop to '60s girls bands, from classical to reggae music, from jazz to traditional chants -- that are then cut out, stuck, mixed, and dissected to be reinvented. This clever mix creates absolutely new pieces of pop and completely avant-garde music. One of the most astonishing music creations of this time.

10. Johnny Hawaii - "Wave Goodbye"

[audio:http://www.redefinemedia.net/downloads/mixtapes/021/(10)_Johnny-Hawaii_Wave-Goodbye.mp3|titles=Johnny Hawaii - Wave Goodbye]

Voici le début d'un rêve constitué de réverbérations, de boucles brumeuses et de ressacs infinis. A suivre...

Here comes the beginning of a dream made of reverberations, misty loopings and infinite waves. To be continued...

11. Cough Cool - "Plastic Jewelry"

[audio:http://www.redefinemedia.net/downloads/mixtapes/021/(11)_Cough-Cool_Plastic-Jewelry.mp3|titles=Cough Cool - Plastic Jewelry]

Shoegaze lo-fi, irradié et déstructuré, émanant tout droit d’un Philadelphie dévasté!

Lo-fi, irradiated and unstructured shoegaze, coming straight out of a devastated Philadelphia!

12. Metacomet - "Warm Winds"

[audio:http://www.redefinemedia.net/downloads/mixtapes/021/(12)_Metacomet_Warm-Winds.mp3|titles=Metacomet - Warm Winds]

Une expérimente épatante et ouverte de la fusion de la grandeur de l’Americana « big skies » avec le bourdonnement méditatif et l’expérimentation mélodique des traditions psychédéliques/expérimentales. Difficile à nommer ou définir, mais la force d'envoûtement de cette musique est énorme.

An exciting, open-ended experiment in melding the muted grandeur of "big skies" Americana with the meditative drone and melodic experimentation of psychedelic/experimental traditions. Difficult to name or define but the power of this music to bewitch you is huge.

13. Stag Hare - "To Coyoto To Hop"

[audio:http://www.redefinemedia.net/downloads/mixtapes/021/(13)_Stag-Hare_To-Coyoto-To-Hop.mp3|titles=Stag Hare - To Coyoto To Hop]

Les oiseaux annoncent la communion contemplative qui attend l'auditeur. Les choses se mettent tranquillement en place, à leur rythme. Les notes semblent faire partie intégrante du temps qui défile au rythme des éléments naturels. Les guitares se répondent et se complètent. La voix intervient ponctuellement pour envahir discrètement l’espace. Les percussions martèlent indéfiniment un rythme hypnotique qui accentue cette sensation d’état second. Naturaliste, introspective... Telle est la musique de Stag Hare.

The birds are announcing the contemplative communion that awaits the listener. Things are peacefully setting up, at their own pace, without any excitement or overplaying emphasis. Notes seem to entirely belong to time, running on at the pace of natural elements. Guitars respond to each other and complement each other. A voice punctually and quietly invades the space. Percussions indefinitely hammer a hypnotic rhythm that enhances the feeling of being in trance. Such is Stag Hare's music - naturalist and introspective.

Download Hands In The Dark Records Mixtape (126 MB) See all REDEFINE magazine mixtapes Ω

music art film review - REDEFINE magazine

Hands In The Dark Records Mixtape (#21) Stream & Download

Constellation Records Mixtape (#20) Stream & Download

Admin — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 16:09:55 +0000

music art film review - REDEFINE magazine

Constellation Records Mixtape (#20) Stream & Download

May 2012 marked the 15th anniversary of Constellation, and as we're looking forward to some celebration this Fall, we're also looking back on a slate of recent releases which we've been honoured to help bring into the world - among them critically acclaimed albums from Colin Stetson, Sandro Perri, Matana Roberts and Esmerine. This label mixtape draws from the past couple of years, and offers a pretty comprehensive picture of what we've been up to as of late. Le mois de mai dernier a marqué le 15e anniversaire de Constellation et, bien que la majorité des événements concernant celui-ci sont prévus pour l'automne, nous avons décidé de regarder dès maintenant les titres que nous avons eu l'honneur de vous partager plus récemment — une liste où l'on retrouve, entre autres, les albums de Colin Stetson, Sandro Perri et Matana Roberts, tous trois acclamés par la critique. Cette compilation offre un éclairage plus large et surtout, célèbre le travail des dernières années.

Mixtape Stream & Download

Stream the entire mixtape here, or see the full post for descriptions in French and English, as well as a download of the entire mix.

Constellation - likely best known for featuring work from Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Do Make Say Think, A Silver Mt. Zion and Vic Chesnutt - has spent the past 15 years releasing albums of patient, intelligent music across - and often in defiance of - a variety of genres. With an emphasis on sustainable practices and artisanal production values, we've sought to frame the work of producing records as a contribution to broader, politically- and socially-engaged conversations about culture. Reconnu pour la parution des titres de Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Do Make Say Think, A Silver Mt. Zion et Vic Chesnutt, Constellation travaille depuis une quinzaine d'années à produire des albums de tout genre ayant en commun leurs intelligences et leurs beautés. En insistant sur les pratiques durables et les démarches artistiques personnelles, nous avons tenté de montrer comment la production de disque peut être une démonstration in actu au débat autour de l'engagement social de la culture.

Download Constellation Records Mixtape (141 MB) See all REDEFINE magazine mixtapes

1. Esmerine - "Walking Through Mist"

FROM LA LECHUZA (CST80) - WWW.ESMERINE.COM [audio:http://www.redefinemedia.net/downloads/mixtapes/020/(01)_Esmerine_Walking-Through-Mist.mp3|titles=Esmerine - Walking Through The Mist]

Esmerine (composé de membres de Godspeed You! Black Emperor, A Silver Mt.Zion, The Barr Brothers et Land of Talk) crée une musique de chambre moderne et méditative. Hybride entre la new music/experimental, que l'on peut associer aux groupes Rachel's ou Town and Country, et l’exploration sonore plus viscérale et lyrique, dans laquelle on peut entendre du Dirty Three (voir GY!BE même). La pièce « Walking Through Mist » apparait sur l'album le plus récent du groupe, La Lechuza. Celui-ci est dédié à la mémoire de Lhasa de Sela, collaboratrice et amie proche du groupe.

Esmerine, featuring members of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, A Silver Mt. Zion, The Barr Brothers and Land of Talk, create meditative, modern chamber music, with one foot in the new music/experimental terrain of contemporaries like Rachel's or Town And Country and the other in a more visceral and lyrical landscape populated by the likes of Dirty Three (and GY!BE themselves). "Walking Through Mist" appears on La Lechuza, the band's most recent album, dedicated to the memory of the band's dear friend and collaborator, Lhasa de Sela.

2. Efrim Manuel Menuck - "our lady of parc extension and her munificent sorrows"

FROM PLAYS 'HIGH GOSPEL' (CST078) - WWW.CSTRECORDS.COM/EFRIM-MANUEL-MENUCK[audio:http://www.redefinemedia.net/downloads/mixtapes/020/(02)_Efrim-Manuel-Menuck_our-lady-of-parc-extension.mp3|titles=Efrim Manuel Menuck - our lady of parc extension and her munificent sorrows]

Membre original de Godspeed et A Silver Mt. Zion, Efrim Manuel Menuck a fait paraître son premier album solo chez Constellation l'an dernier. Ses sculptures sonores, où les sons trafiqués viennent s'appuyer sur un jeu de guitare exceptionnel et une voix réellement unique, sont des monuments profondément personnels marquant l'aboutissement d'un cycle créatif.

Co-founder of Godspeed and A Silver Mt. Zion, Efrim Manuel Menuck released his first solo album via Constellation last year, allowing his skills as a signal-bender and sound-sculptor to come to the fore alongside his stunning electric guitar work and truly singular voice, through an enveloping, passionate, and deeply personal song cycle.

3. Eric Cheneux - "Amazing Backgrounds"

FROM GUITAR & VOICE (CST088) - WWW.CSTRECORDS.COM/ERIC-CHENEUX [audio:http://www.redefinemedia.net/downloads/mixtapes/020/(03)_Eric-Chenaux_Amazing-Backgrounds.mp3|titles=Eric Chenaux - Amazing Backgrounds]

L'auteur-compositeur expérimental torontois Eric Chenaux à créer, avec l'album Guitar and Voice, une série de chansons superbes, alternant entre la chanson douce et subtile et les pièces instrumentales courtes et torturées.

With Guitar and Voice, prolific Toronto-based experimental singer-songwriter Eric Chenaux has produced a stunning collection of songs, alternating between heartfelt, patient and subtle vocal-based ballads and shorter, cacophonously harmonious bowed-guitar instrumentals.

4. Siskiyou - "Twigs And Stones"

FROM KEEP AWAY THE DEAD (CST083) - WWW.SISKIYOUBAND.COM [audio:http://www.redefinemedia.net/downloads/mixtapes/020/(04)_Siskiyou_Twigs-And-Stones.mp3|titles=Siskiyou - Twigs And Stones]

Le quatuor vancouvérois mené par Colin Huebert (ex-Great Lake Swimmers) joue un rock imbibé de folk. Une musique qui s’interroge sur le désespoir et la résistance. Composée en collaboration avec Colin Stetson, « Twigs and Stones » est sans doute la pièce la plus exubérante du disque.

This Vancouver-based quartet led by former Great Lake Swimmers member Colin Huebert make humble, emotionally direct and expertly arranged folk-inflected rock music, marked by a quiet defiance and desperation. "Twigs and Stones," featuring horns by Colin Stetson, finds the band at perhaps their most exuberant.

5. Elfin Saddle - "The Wind Come Carry"

FROM DEVASTATES (CST087) - WWW.ELFINSADDLE.COM [audio:http://www.redefinemedia.net/downloads/mixtapes/020/(05)_Elfin-Saddle_The-Wind-Come-Carry.mp3|titles=Elfin Saddle - The Wind Come Carry]

Sur Devastates, Elfin Saddle marie leurs sons bidouillés et organiques à un cycle de composition s'approchant du théâtre musical. C'est avec brio qu'il concocte un folk profondément ancré dans l'engagement environnemental, inspiré par l'espoir et la critique face à la situation mondiale. En somme, une version originale et nouvelle de la chanson engagée.

On Devastates, Montreal's Elfin Saddle wed an operetta-style song cycle to an organic, junkshop aesthetic to great effect, forging a unique hybrid folk music rooted in a profound engagement with issues of environmental sustainability, and fuelled by the desire to say something both critical and hopeful about our common earthly trajectory. A highly original and distinctive definition of a protest song.

6. Tindersticks - "Frozen"

FROM A SOMETHING RAIN (CST086) - WWW.TINDERSTICKS.CO.UK [audio:http://www.redefinemedia.net/downloads/mixtapes/020/(06)_Tindersticks_Frozen.mp3|titles=Tindersticks - Frozen]

Troisième disque depuis leur retour sur scène en 2008 du légendaire groupe britannique Tindersticks. Créative et intelligente, leur tendance pop reste ancrée dans l'ambiance noire par l'entremise de la voix si sombre de Stuart Staple.

The legendary British pop-noir ensemble returns with their third album since reforming in 2008, crafting lush, intelligent, and compelling takes on smoky Northern Soul anchored by Stuart Staples' signature baritone croon.

7. Colin Stetson - "The stars in his head (Dark Lights Remix)"

FROM NEW HISTORY WARFARE VOL 2 (CST075) - WWW.COLINSTETSON.COM [audio:http://www.redefinemedia.net/downloads/mixtapes/020/(07)_Colin-Stetson_The-stars-in-his-head-(Dark-Lights-remix).mp3|titles=Colin Stetson - The stars in his head (Dark Lights Remix)]

Influencé autant par les explorations de Jimi Hendrix, Peter Brotzman et Albert Ayler que par Bach, la musique métal et le gospel américain; le saxophoniste Colin Stetson a réalisé un véritable tour de force avec son dernier album. Deuxième partie de la trilogie New History Warfare, il y joue ses pièces avec une virtuosité et une sensibilité rarement vue. Mettant à profit le souffle circulaire et les possibilités percussives de son instrument, il performe seul une musique polyphonique et envoutante.

Colin Stetson is a horn player of uncommon strength, skill and genre-defying creativity. He composes and performs otherworldly songs that combine a mastery of circular breathing technique with percussive valve-work and reed vocalizations, making polyphonic solo music that combines influences as diverse as Bach, early metal, American pre-war Gospel, and the explorations of Jimi Hendrix, Peter Brotzman and Albert Ayler.

8. Khora - "The Desert And The Scream"

FROM SILENT YOUR BODY IS ENDLESS (CST071) - WWW.KHORA.CA [audio:http://www.redefinemedia.net/downloads/mixtapes/020/(08)_Khora_The-Desert-And-The-Scream.mp3|titles=Khora - The Desert And The Scream]

Ce projet de Matthew Ramolo tient sur ses explorations à la guitare (électrique et acoustique) et le ''field recording''. Des drones immersifs, puisant leur beauté dans le traitement numérique, qui produisent un son organique et méditatif sans pour autant perdre sa rugosité, sa distorsion. Une musique qui dépasse le terme d’ambiant par tous ses attributs.

Matthew Ramolo's Khôra project is based chiefly on acoustic/electric guitar and field recordings, with extensive signal processing and digital interventions conditioning these sources to create an immersive soundworld of drones, chimes, rings and other pointillistic sonics. The results are highly organic and meditative while retaining plenty of icy shards, bubbling distortions and passages of controlled monumentalism, making this anything but an ambient listen.

9. Evangelista - "Artificial Lamb"

FROM IN ANIMAL TONGUE (CST082) - WWW.CARLABOZULICH.COM [audio:http://www.redefinemedia.net/downloads/mixtapes/020/(09)_Evangelista_Artificial-Lamb.mp3|titles=Evangelista - Artificial Lamb]

Connue au départ comme la chanteuse du groupe américain Geraldine Fibbers et comme celle qui a réenregistré l'album Red Headed Strange de Willie Nelson en 2003, Carla Bozulich est également l'essence du projet Evangelista . Visionnaires et brutes, les pièces qu'elle compose dépassent les limites sonores généralement associées au rock. Sa démarche unique la rend inclassable. In Animal Tongue, le plus récent album, est sorti à l'automne 2011.

Carla Bozulich is best known as the singer from LA-based band Geraldine Fibbers and as the woman who re-made Willie Nelson’s Red Headed Stranger. Carla has one of the most unique voices in any genre. Her work is brutally raw and weirdly visionary, continually pushing to new and uncharted sonic and emotional boundaries with her Evangelista project. In Animal Tongue, their latest, was released last Fall.

10. Matana Roberts - "pov piti" (excerpt)

FROM COIN COIN CHAPTER ONE: GENS DE COULEUR LIBRES (CST079) - WWW.MATANAROBERTS.COM [audio:http://www.redefinemedia.net/downloads/mixtapes/020/(10)_Matana-Roberts_pov-piti-(excerpt).mp3|titles=Matana Roberts - pov piti (excerpt)]

Matana (mah-Tah-nah) Roberts a fait sa marque en improvisation dans les dernières années. Saxophoniste et compositrice dotée d'une rare force, sa musique explore ses racines mystiques et la tradition expressionniste américaine. Le projet Coin Coin, célébré par de nombreux critiques au travers le monde, est une oeuvre qui s'étire sur plusieurs chapitres concernant ses ancêtres personnelles et l'histoire de l'Amérique noire. Un narratif qui devient commun au travers du prisme de la partition conceptuelle (notation graphique et liée au hasard) et de la performance.

Matana (mah-tah-nah) Roberts is a dynamic saxophonist, composer and improviser, who tries to expose in her music the mystical roots and spiritual traditions of American creative expression. Her critically-acclaimed COIN COIN project is a multi-chapter work that combines conceptual scoring (graphic notation, 'chance' strategies), storytelling and historical narrative, performance theatre (personae, costume, multi-media), and a deeply considered channeling of personal ancestry and the 'universal' experience of Africans in America.

11. Nick Keupfer - "Tierra Santa Con Montaña Rusa"

FROM AVESTRUZ (CST072) - WWW.CSTRECORDS.COM/NICKKEUPFER [audio:http://www.redefinemedia.net/downloads/mixtapes/020/(11)_Nick-Kuepfer_Tierra-Santa-Con-Montana-Rusa.mp3|titles=Nick Keupfer - Tierra Santa Con Montana Rusa]

Drones, loops, bruit d'animal et guitare caractérisent la musique de Nick Kuepfer. Oscillant entre le calme et le frénétique, cette musique instrumentale se démarque par son sens aigu de l'expérimentation et sa recherche d’équilibre entre le mélodique et le dissonant qui habite notre monde.

Nick Kuepfer is a guitar player who weaves nylon string and electric guitar pieces with live-sampled tape loops, recordings of animals, and drones from various sources. His predominantly wordless music ranges from subtle and static to frantic and abrasive, with a methodical, vigilant sense of experimentation guided by the search for consonance and dissonance with the sounds of "nature".

12. Sandro Perri - "Futureactive Kid (Part I)"

FROM IMPOSSIBLE SPACES (CST085) - WWW.SANDROPERRI.COM [audio:http://www.redefinemedia.net/downloads/mixtapes/020/(12)_Sandro-Perri_Futureactive-Kid-(Part-I).mp3|titles=Sandro Perri - Futureactive Kid (Part I)]

Connu aussi pour son travail en électro sous le pseudonyme Polmo Polpo, Sandro Perri retourne vers le Jazz pour composer ses pièces à la guitare. Multi-instrumentiste et producteur chevronné, la totalité de l’album embrasse un spectre si large qu'il en devient inclassable. Mais s’il le faut, Impossible Spaces peut être décrit comme du prog aventureux et joyeux. À l’écoute, on se retrouve happé sous la production géniale et dérouté par les pièces accrocheuses et complexes. Avec poésie et un talent d'arrangeur hors norme, Perri nous guide avec allégresse au travers son monde.

Sandro Perri is a Toronto-based music maker, best known for his instrumental/electronic work under the Polmo Polpo moniker. Originally trained in jazz, and playing primarily guitar, electronics and percussion, he composes, plays and produces music that falls on multiple points across a broad spectrum of styles and genres. 2011's Impossible Spaces is a work of adventurous, progressive, playful and thoughtful songcraft – expertly recorded, wonderfully fluid in its complexity, continually oscillating between catchy and elusive, and guided throughout by Perri's golden voice.

13. Pat Jordache - "Phantom Limb"

FROM FUTURE SONGS (CST076) - WWW.CSTRECORDS.COM/PATJORDACHE/ [audio:http://www.redefinemedia.net/downloads/mixtapes/020/(13)_Pat-Jordache_Phantom-Limb.mp3|titles=Pat Jordache - Phantom Limb]

Pierre d’assise de la scène diy underground de Montréal, Pat Jordache a composé un album qui fait un pied de nez à la pop. Mener par sa voix grave et des compositions mélodiques et décalées, Future Songs marie les guitares arides et les rythmes syncopés aux compositions Paul Simon'esque.

Mainstays of Montreal's DIY noise-pop underground, Pat Jordache's Future Songs is an album of brilliant off-kilter pop, anchored by woozy baritone vocals, angular guitar lines and a gloriously careening approach to rhythm and arrangement.

14. Les Momies De Palerme - "Medée"

FROM BRÛLEZ CE COEUR (CST070) - WWW.LESMOMIESDEPALERME.COM [audio:http://www.redefinemedia.net/downloads/mixtapes/020/(14)_Les-Momies-De-Palerme_Medee.mp3|titles=Les Momies De Palerme - Medee]

Sur un fond de synthétiseur, de violon préparé et de voix, on entend dans les enregistrements des Momies (Xarah Dion et Marie Davidson) une procession liturgique et psychédélique. Profond sans jamais tomber dans la lourdeur. Synthétique, mais jamais rétro, une trame gothique nous vient en tête à la première écoute, mais celle-ci se dérobe sous leurs cantiques arabisés. Ode à la musique contemporaine et à la poésie, résultat d'une démarche où tout est éthéré et sacré.

Les Momies de Palerme, the duo of multi-instrumentalists Xarah Dion and Marie Davidson, create an uncategorizable sound built up from a core of keyboards, processed violin and voices: slow-paced without being ponderous; synthetic without being retro; methodically restrained and strangely devotional without being easily tagged as ethereal or gothic. Brûlez ce Coeur is often like an ersatz sacred music: canticles on acid, full of strange quirks and avant sounds while remaining soothing, meditative and incantatory.

15. Land Of Kush - "Fisherman" (excerpt)

FROM MONOGAMY (CST066) - WWW.CSTRECORDS.COM/LAND-OF-KUSH/ [audio:http://www.redefinemedia.net/downloads/mixtapes/020/(15)_Land-of-Kush_Fisherman-(excerpt).mp3|titles=Land of Kush - Fisherman (excerpt)]

L'ensemble Land of Kush a été créé et est dirigé par le musicien montréalais Sam Shalabi, une des figures des plus prolifique et déroutante de la scène montréalaise des dernières années. Le deuxième album du groupe, Monogamy, est un objet déstabilisant proposant une musique psych-arab jazz (!!) abordant les sujets de la honte, de la sexualité et de la société.

Land Of Kush is a large orchestra assembled and directed by Montreal composer and musician Sam Shalabi, one of the city’s most unique and prolific players over the past decade. Monogamy is the group's second album of intensely genre-defying, polymorphic, big band madness, tackling concepts of shame, sexuality and society in a new multi-movement work of psych-arabic jazz.

16. Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra - "Kollapz Tradixional (Thee Dirty Olde Flag)"

FROM KOLLAPS TRADIXIONALES (CST063) - WWW.TRA-LA-LA-BAND.COM [audio:http://www.redefinemedia.net/downloads/mixtapes/020/(16)_Thee-Silver-Mt-Zion_Kollapz-Tradixional-Thee-Dirty-Olde-Flag.mp3|titles=Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra - Kollapz Tradixional (Thee Dirty Olde Flag)]

Depuis déjà 10 ans, ASMZ a réussi à se définir comme groupe en enregistrant des albums complexes et profonds. Un punk rock qui se découvre derrière des arrangements de corde. Kollaps Tradixionales nous montre un groupe au sommet de son art, reprenant les axes associés à la musique traditionnelle américaine et en les filtrant de leurs esthétiques si particulières. En gardant tout de même la force et l'intensité de leurs opus précédents, ils explorent plus loin la libération du blues.

Since their formation more than a decade ago, ASMZ have diligently crafted complex and starkly emotional orchestral rock compositions, buoyed by stunning string arrangements and marked by a fierce punk rock ethos and delivery. 2012's Kollaps Tradixionales finds the band in top form, channeling various traditional folk idioms in their singular voice, sliding comfortably towards an expansive, loose and blues-inflected balladry while losing none of the intensity of their earlier work.

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music art film review - REDEFINE magazine

Constellation Records Mixtape (#20) Stream & Download

Extended Listen: MS MR – Track Addict Vol. 1 Mixtape Stream & Download

Vivian Hua — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 16:00:35 +0000

music art film review - REDEFINE magazine

Extended Listen: MS MR – Track Addict Vol. 1 Mixtape Stream & Download

Brooklyn indie poppers MS MR have just started a series of mixtapes called Track Addict. The first installment of this is Ava Luna's "Wrenning Day", which you can find embedded alone separately. Holy crep!

MS MR - Track Addict Vol. 1 Tracklisting

1. Breeze Blocks - Alt-J 2. Seconds - Ghost Loft 3. Move to the Ocean (Baauer Remix) - Brick + Mortar 4. Amber - Electronic Guest 5. Forever - Haim 6. My Better Self - Tennis 7. Lazuli - Beach House 8. Sleep Paralysis - Gabriel Bruce 9. Wrenning Day - Ava Luna 10. Midland - Arthur Beatrice 11. pound your town to hell - Cloudy Busey 12. Suburbs (Cover) - Mr Little Jeans 13. Don’t Move - Phantogram 14. Gone - Vacationer

DOWNLOAD TRACK ADDICT VOLUME 1

Ava Luna - Wrenning Day (Single)

Wrenning Day (Single) by Ava Luna

music art film review - REDEFINE magazine

Extended Listen: MS MR – Track Addict Vol. 1 Mixtape Stream & Download