The Quaint Space

Friday, August 31, 2012

Blog is freezed, folks | maybe forever.

Thursday, December 01, 2011

Natureboy - Natureboy | review

release date > November 15th, 2011
label > bleek records
The music project Natureboy represents only one person and it's not a boy but singer/songwriter Sara Kermanshahi. With supporting production of Cedar Apffel (he has own project Masterface and theirs (together with Sara) former project House on A Hill) and featured rising drummer Rory O'Connor.

In short Natureboy plays acoustic guitar alt-folk. Sara's arresting voice is strong and soulful captivating and gives freshness in her songs. Because melodies are slower flowing and often full of melancholy. It's perfect music for these autumn/winter days when raining outside and you want only hide yourself at some warm nook and having a rest. But I didn't say it's boring, soporific or something it suits for these autumn/winter mood only I think. I've taken a couple of listening and I can say Sara's songs still grow and grow inside of me and it's good sign. I love growers. Not only first song Curses Fired begins and includes looped acoustic guitar which has hypnotic impact and so melodies are a little bit hidden but it flowers with every next listening.
The band is currently at a studio and working on their sophomore album entitled "The Sweep", which features guest vocals from Sharon Van Etten, who has also loaned her lovely voice to bands such as The National, Beirut and The Antlers. But we must wait till February 2012.
.:7|10:.

facebook > https://www.facebook.com/Natureboysongs?sk=wall

Meniscus - War of Currents | review

release date > 15th July 2011

label > unsigned

I accidentally chanced on the band Meniscus on social network Google Plus yesterday. Somebody posted a NASA video with a song by Meniscus "130" and I was amazed with what I saw and heard. You can see it below of this humble "review". It's breathtaking show.

Meniscus plays post-rock as a style but as we know post-rock has many faces and Meniscus debut War of Currents represents post-rock in its best. But it's not only for fans of post-rock bands like Mogwai, Explosions in the Sky or Mono. Because gripping and rich ambient soundscapes builded by tinkle guitars and delicate bass line supported with precise drums and beats are gradually turned with mighty riffs in next moment to powerful finish (130) has enough power to bewitch you or anybody else with open mind and soul. Next song subtle Immersion (maybe the best song of the album) begins with cinematic ornaments colored by hushed guitars and sounds but it is changes in second half to jaunty and optimistic dub-like song and you will fully immerse in great cosmic finale. And you feel as you are floating in the infinite space. Excellent song. Fourth track Fight club has gentle opening which prepares you to more intensive experience at the end of song. Like you are waiting for a tough fight in a ring.
I can really highly recommend this remarkable album.

Tracklisting > 1| Room 3327 | 04:57 || 2| 130 | 06:38 || 3| Immersion | 08:29 || 4| Fight Club | 05:04 || 5| Cursed | 04:31 || 6| Infant | 08:26 |

Total time > 38:06

If you like it pls buy it here > http://www.meniscusband.com/store

share or buy > http://meniscusmusic.bandcamp.com/
official site > http://www.meniscusband.com

facebook > https://www.facebook.com/meniscusband

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Graciela Maria - Many Places | review

release date > 28th January 2011

label > PROJECT MOONCICLE

Graciela Maria is Mexican singer/songwriter with velvet gentle and sexy voice. She has started as vocalists in Mexican electronic music scene for many local producers. Many Places is her debut but what a great debut! I know it's not a brand new release, it's from January. But I hope it doesn't matter because Graciala's record worth for reviewing and I wanted to do once. Nevermind :]

In this retro futuristic sounding album you can hear influence by early Portishead (in Magic Bus) but definitely this is not pure trip hop. Yes there is slow beat, electronic layers, various loops but it sounds like it was recorded live. Maybe because there is a lot of common instruments like double bass, guitar, live drums, cello and other string instruments but melted together in excellent electronic pop with jazz and blues feeling.

So feel free and try something new and fresh. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. This is highly recommended stuff.
.:8|10:.

tracklisting > 1| Santa Ana Afternoons | 3:18 || 2| Many Places | 3:57 || 3| Meanwhile | 4:03 || 4| Magic Bus | 3:56 || 5| Underwater | 4:53 || 6| Little White Shoes | 2:35 || 7| Nothing Safe | 3:19 || 8| Through The Night | 3:43 || 9| Always | 3:34 || 10| Sirius | 2:57|

Friday, November 25, 2011

M83 - Reunion - new single announced

As a new single from Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming has been announced

Reunion, due out on February 6th 2012 via Mute & Naive!
ilovem83.com brings also a cover of the new single. Here it is. Really nice and definitely better than cover for the first single Midnight City.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Masterface - Freedom Tower | Review

digital release date > 15th November 2011

label > Bleek Records

Masterface is the music project of Brooklyn-based producer Cedar Apffel (also a project Natureboy). He moved to New York from Seattle with his band of eight years, House On A Hill. After playing a number of dates, the two main songwriters split into separate projects and Masterface was born.

Apffel collaborated on Freedom Tower with Brooklyn producer/drummer Rory O'Connor. O'Connor has most recently been touring with the increasingly popular Com Truise and is completing his debut solo album for release next year.

Whole album sounds very compact maybe because almost all songs are connected together without any silent gaps. I like this approach. A music style of Masterface is combination of electronic layers with ambient soundscapes crossed vocoded voices and sometimes you can hear dub inspiration.

Antientface, minimalism, hypnotic bass, rolling repetitive guitar riff and voice somewhere in the air. Great opener and you know this record is no ordinary.

Exuse Me Girl, you can hear slightly vocoded voice again but in slowly built strong melody. Instant fav.

My Yum Yums, rich drums evokes a fast rail machine with steam blowing over.

Magic Dragging, great built song where you can hear a reggae-dub variations in a second part.

Piano Condensate, ambient sound landscapes in the beginning this song supported with lasting synths in the next moments till the end.

A perfect Shining golden diamond (in the center of my heart),

10ticles, jazzy feeling with saxophone is really amazing. So cool and easy. Really love it.

A Perfect Shining, sister of previous one but with vocals

Xmasterface is vocal chillout with slow beats and jingles in the background. Nice piece.
I must recommend you this record! Just try it and enjoy listening!
.:7|9:.

/ Last but not least I must thanks to Bleek Records for promo mp3! \

tracklisting >

free mp3 > Excuse Me Girl (download / stream)

For more info on Masterface, please visit:

http://masterface.bandcamp.com
http://soundcloud.com/bleekrecords/masterface-excuse-me-girl

Wednesday, November 09, 2011

M83. Hurry Up, We're Dreaming - review

release date > 17th October 2011

label > Naïve

M83. The band which was founded in 2001 by French musician Anthony Gonzalez and named after a M83 - Messier 83, a spiral galaxy in the constellation Hydra. Sometimes you can feel that enormous space of the galaxy when you are listening M83's albums.

I have to confess you. I utterly fell in love with this band. It's been a long time since I hear Saturdays = Youth, a predecessor of "Hurry Up" for the first time. And this love and connection last I can frankly say I am addicted with its luscious sound. It was the first album which I heard and than gradually I was discovering a rest of his discography especially that great records Before the Dawn Heals Us (2005) and Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts (2003) with truly gems like America, Unrecorded, 0078h, Gone, Don't Save Us From The Flames, Farewell / Goodbye, * (yes, the asterisk is a song name :]), Safe, Car Chase Terror, Lower Your Eyelids To Die With The Sun, Teen Angst, Kim & Jessie, Graveyard Girl, We Own The Sky, Too Late and lots of more because every song is worth to listen.

Back to the new release. If Saturdays = Youth was close to 80's sound than Hurry Up, We're Dreaming is 80's. But in a form which I can accept which I can love. And of course it's still M83 in their best. When I am thinking about it more the feeling of 80's I have this feeling only in a couple of first hearings. Than the record still more and more grew in me. And now I can listen the whole (double CD) record from the first song Intro to the last Outro. I enjoy it so much and I am glad I broke that initial embarrassment. Some reviewers say it's M83 best album and they have right. Or maybe I think every album have some own spirit which you can get it during the listening. But Hurry Up.. is like a colorful patchwork includes every shades of M83's colors. Gonzalez had this to say about it: "I think it is a reflection of my 30 years of being a human being. It’s a compilation of all my previous music together. It’s a retrospective of myself."

As you know Hurry Up, We're Dreaming is double CD with 2x11 songs and takes 1h13m. I can not describes all of each songs but I can and will recommend some of them. Of course the best way how to listen is from Intro to Outro ;) Because I highly recommend whole songs on double CDs:)

Intro - the song begins with fluttering synths and whispering of Morgan Kibby. It's perfect opener with featuring Zola Jesus. Her powerfully intense voice introduces this mesmerizing album.
Midnight City - First single and smashing hit. Gonzales experiments with his voice as high distorted 'squawk' and try to sing in a different way than previous releases. At first I had a problem with a recognition it's his voice. Put heavy synth riff, stunning saxophone solo at the end and you get maybe the best song on the album.
Wait - slow and touching strong melody, epic structure and soft tension inside. Very beautiful song.
Raconte-Moi Une Histoire - in English "Tell me a story" is probably the most cute and funny song ever I heard, which has a little girl telling a fairy tale about a frog as the main vocal. As Gonzales said for Pitchfork interview |here| she's a Justin's Meldal-Johnsen |producer| five-year-old daughter. Her closing words "we can be a whole group of friends ... the biggest group of friends the world has ever seen, jumping and laughing forever, it would be great, right? " are amazingly positive and it conjures up a smile on your face :)
Claudia Lewis - Gonzales really like 80's sound and here is the biggest influence heard. And that slap bass... it's typical for 80's (for me). Maybe it can reminds you Genesis with Peter Gabriel (listen also Reunion or OK Pal for 80's strong feeling). Great stuffs indeed.
New Map - Breathtaking powerful song. The ending with whistles and saxophone is sooo flawless. With Midnight City best song. I have no more words...
Splendor - solo piano starts a melody than join Gonzalez's singing with magic Shakespeare Bridge Children's Choir in second half. Almost Christmas feeling touch you ...

Steven McQueen - another huge hit. Very fresh and full of energy. Definitely about famous actor Steven McQueen: "My sensations reach the limit.
Nothing can hurt me today. There’s a magic inside. Just waiting to burst out.
There world is a goldmine. That will melt tomorrow. Living for, living for a thrill… Just waiting! Just waiting!..."
Echoes of Mine - cinematic atmosphere with women declaims something in French, I have no idea what is it but with that synths walls it's sounds very impressive.

Klaus I love You - So flawless synths... There is only one bad thing on this song. It's too short for me. Best interlude ever.

Outro - You can hear small touch of epic of Sigur Rós. Amazing closing of the album.
So I can highly recommend this incredible double CD!
.:9|10:.

track listing >

CD1 01| Intro | 05:22 || 02| Midnight City | 04:04 || 03| Reunion (03:55) |04| Where The Boats Go | 01:46 || 05| Wait | 05:43 || 06| Raconte-Moi Une Histoire | 04:04 || 07| Train To Pluton | 01:15 || 08| Claudia Lewis | 04:31 || 09| This Bright Flash | 02:24 || 10| When Will You Come Home? | 01:23 || 11| Soon, My Friend | 03:09 |

CD2 01| My Tears Are Becoming A Sea | 02:31 || 02| New Map | 04:22 || 03| Ok Pal | 03:58 || 04| Another Wave From You | 01:53 || 05| Splendor | 05:07 || 06| Year One, One UFO | 03:17 || 07 | Fountains | 01:21 || 08| Steve McQueen | 03:48 || 09| Echoes Of Mine | 03:39 || 10| Klaus I Love You | 01:44 || 11| Outro | 04:07 |

official website > ilovem83.com

facebook > www.facebook.com/m83music

soundcloud > soundcloud.com/m83

Wednesday, November 02, 2011

Björk - Biophilia | Deluxe Edition | Review

release date > 10 Oct 2011
label > One Little Indian

This review is only about music. So no app, no multimedia, no live performance. Just only music.
First what you hit on your eyes are again is fantastic cover of CD with Björk stylished as red hair diva suited in some kind of harp clothes. It's promise to calm, warm and airy sound of the album. I can imagine how wind fluff up that her gorgeous red hair. So it's original cover as always from Björk. But I attached some another beautiful image of Björk here.
Second what you hit but on your ears is as extraordinary music with brilliant lyrics. I know it sounds like a cliché but not in case of Björk.
One side of her music here is about inner energy and tension following the eruptions of joy and on the other side there is minimalism structures of some songs and calmness of wide space around your ears/head. Conclusion of that is perfect conceptual album which is still in category avant-garde but very amiable avant-garde. Still it's Björk and I love her for that. Maybe it's not a record for a first listening (thanks god) but it's a grower in the best meaning of that word. The music slowly growing inside of me. Björk also breaks the typical 4/4 time signature structure for many of the songs on Biophilia. For example, "Solstice" features 7/4 and 6/4 times bars; "Hollow", 17/8 times bars; "Moon", 17/8 times bars and "Mutual Core", 5/4 times bars. So enjoy :)

But we can take all song per song:

Moon | minimalist repetitive (but not boring) harps with gentle voice bring you almost to the Moon and I can agree with Björk that "now I'm all rejuvenated and rested" after a couple of listenings of the Moon. And anothe my nod with "to risk all is the end all and the beginning all". Truly great the beginning of the album.
Thunderbolt | Synth organs in background starts with her voice than it's changed for tick and heavy running bass (I love this sound really) which decelerate nicely at the very end with lyrics: "may I, can I, should I or have I too often craving miracles"
Crystalline | First single of Biophilia released early in Summer. And it's piece of music which you lull to sleep (or dream) at the beginning but that it comes impressive drum kicks and you are in reality in a second. I was shocked when I hear it because I didn't expect anything like this I mean jungle (or drum'n'bass) thunder.
"Crystalline internal nebula (crystalline) / Rocks growing slow-mo (crystalline)
I conquer clautrophobia (crystalline) / And demand the lights."Pure beatiful lyrics...
Cosmogony | "In this song, Bjork is a story-teller, telling us the stories of how the universe came to be.
In the first verse, she is telling us about the theory of creation from Miwok mythology. In this story, Silver Fox and Coyote created earth by dancing and singing, as before there was only water.
In the second verse, Bjork references the myth of Pangu which is Tao in origin. What Bjork didn't mention was that Pangu's body parts became components of the world as we know after his death (his eyes became the sun and the moon, his muscles the earth, and so on).
In the third verse, she gives us some insight into The Dreaming, which forms the core of Australian Aboriginal culture. In this one, ancestral beings shaped the landscape from a formless land during an era known as Dreamtime.
And the final verse is of course the conventional Big Bang model." BIG thanks to user cactuar | 07-25-2011 | songsmeanings.net
And I can only add for this song: everytimes it makes me wonder. That's what I loved and what I love again on her songs. She makes you wonder.
Dark Matter | hypnotic dark minimalist piece and you are falling more and more to the deep space of your thoughts and feelings.
Hollow | the organ skitters around wildly like a steam locomotive little bit disharmonic but in a while it takes a pace and you are completly into its own space. Be patient and take a couple of listenings.
Virus | Probably most intimate songs. As lyrics like "I see protein transmutate / I knock on your skin / And I am in" suggest, the music is already under your skin, it takes roots in your brain.
Sacrifice | immerse into sound of Sharpsichord, a huge pin-barrel harp developed by Henry Dagg between 2006 and 2010. Spiced by drill drums by Tim Eliot aka Current Value. Nice contrast.
Mutual Core | excellent powerfull song which you will love since the first listening. And listen what beautiful verses there are:
"I shuffle around / The tectonic plates / In my chest / You know I gave it all / Try to match our continents / To change seasonal shift / To form a mutual core". Second part gets you like an eruption of volcano when start uncompromising sharp beats.
Solstice | Only harps and voice. Calm and peacefully beautiful ending of this record. An you can see "Flickering sun flame" everywhere. The End.

Extra tracks >
(Following three pieces you can find on the Collector's/Deluxe edition)
Hollow Original 7 minute version | just a longer version of Hollow but still beautiful.
Dark Matter with choir + organ | yes, organ instead of synth sound and with celestial choir in a back. Sublime version.
Náttúra | impressive synth-drum eruptions in the bonus track 'Nattura,' which features Thom Yorke (hardly identifiable) on backing vocals. By the way it's dedicated to famous Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull (you can hear sounds of eruption I guess at the beginning).
The Comet Song (in the Japan edition) | Co-written with Icelandic poet, Sjón and lyrics summarizes a plot of a brand new Moomins film.
Comet! Oh, damn it! / The comet comes hurtling down / On a precious plot of earth.

Full tracklist > 1| Moon | 05:45 || 2| Thunderbolt | 05:15 || 3| Crystalline | 05:08 || 4| Cosmogony | 05:00 || 5| Dark Matter | 03:22 || 6| Hollow | 05:49 || 7| Virus | 05:26 || 8| Sacrifice | 04:02 || 9| Mutual Core | 05:06 || 10| Solstice | 04:41 ||
in collector's edition plus :
11| Hollow Original 7 minute version | 07:07 || 12 Dark Matter with choir + organ | 03:25 || 13| Nattura | 03:50 ||
in japan version plus:
14 | The Comet Song | 02:23 ||

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

House of Wolves - Fold in the Wind

(released 05 July 2011 )

I am hooked and enchanted by this new (for me) a band with name which was created as a translation of a name singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ray Villalobos from Spanish to English. You will love his soft and hushed voice supported accustic guitar and slow flowing tones of a piano with percussion, and the occasional horn motif. His voice reminds me Sam Bean from Iron & Wine sometimes but music is more slower as a flow of small river or a brook. Whole record have intimate mood and you can feel as you are in the one room with him.

Songs like 50's, Acres of Fire, Follow Me you shouldn't miss if you like alt-folk music but of course the rest of songs pays your attention. Highly recommended this beautiful record.

.: 8/10 :.