05 Tuesday Jun 2012
Posted in Album Reviews
Tags
ambient, atmospheres, Carol Rhyu, dark, dreamy, haunting, Los Angeles, lovely, White Blush, Without You
Ambient and dreamy, White Blush releases its debut single, “Without You.” Fresh on the scene since only February, White Blush is the collaborative project of Los Angeles recording artist Carol Rhyu, and producer John Ho. The project has already gained a nomination for LA Deli Magazine’s Artist of the Month Poll.
16 Monday Apr 2012
Posted in Album Reviews
Coinciding with the Spring equinox, liturgical readings announce, “A light shines in the darkness, and the darkness shall not overcome it.” This Easter season, Lowlakes releases a four-track EP which begins like a call for hope amidst a grey fog. Carrying a cinematic quality, Lowlakes presents a rare mix of melody and ambience. Frontman Tom Snowdon takes flight in dreamy sequences while remaining in a low hover just above ground.
This Australian group originally from Alice Springs relocated to Melbourne for the EP production. Lowlakes’ new self-titled EP was recorded live and mixed to tape in Kunsthaus Records’ private analogue studio. Continue reading »
14 Wednesday Mar 2012
Posted in Album Reviews
Tags
ambient, Australia, Dreams, electronic, glitch pop, Oliver Tank
Australia’s Oliver Tank creates otherworldly atmospheres through combining real instruments and computers in his fittingly titled EP, ‘Dreams’ realeased through Yes Please Records (November 2011). Oliver Tank recently flew to Iceland to attend the Airwaves Festival after winning FBi’s Northern Lights Competition. ‘Dreams’ has garnered air time on UK stations BBC1 and BBC6. Also, the U.S. NPR station featured the EP in their top 5 bandcamp albums of 2011.
With repetitions acting like a slow motion strobe light, the music sets a semiconscious mood, creating the feel of experiencing life frame by frame. Aptly, the focus single is “Last Night I Heard Everything in Slow Motion” which is beautifully portrayed by electronic glitch pop mixed with the folk Irish sounds of uilleann pipes. Continue reading »
10 Saturday Sep 2011
Posted in Album Reviews
Tags
‘Habibti’ is the first-batch release of Gold Beach’s recordings collection. Titled after an Arabic term for “beloved” this album woos the listener with breezy vocals that whirl around wind-chime instrumentals.
This musical experiment has been developed over the past couple years by singer/ guitarist Michael Winningham and drummer Tony Daugherty. Though the two grew up on the same street in Houston, TX and began writing music together at age fourteen, both have contributed their talents to other bands until a change was called for. “We wanted to see what would happen if we didn’t rely on our comfort zones to create music,” says Winningham.
Using the recording studio for their music writing environment, Winningham and Daugherty patiently sculpted their musical presence and personality. Over 25 songs were recorded in various ways and with various people, but only 11 tracks were kept together to create ‘Habibti’ which includes creative contributions by Jeremy Gomez (bass), Evan Jacobs (synthesizers/ keyboards/ piano), and Henna Chou (cello) among others. This Austin, TX duo plans to perform regionally, most notably at the upcoming Austin City Limits festival, with national tour dates soon to come.
12 Friday Aug 2011
Posted in Interviews
Tags
ambient, dreampop, electronica, Elika, shoegaze, Snuggle Bunnies
A blend of electronica beats, shoegaze fuzz, and interludes of ambience Elika offers insightful lyrics coupled with strong rhythms. Elika’s calming vocals feel like the warmth of a favorite shall comforting you amidst the restless stirrings of the day’s commotion.
This Brooklyn DIY duo is Evagelia Maravelias (vocals, synths, drums, illustration) and Brian Wenckebach (guitar, bass, synths, production). They recorded, mixed, and self-produced their second full length album, ‘Snuggle Bunnies,’ released in late 2010. Elika has opened for their friends Ulrich Schnauss at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC and Asobi Seksu at The Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn. Their multi-genre musings have been well received by audiences in the USA as well as the Canada, the UK, and Peru. Eva and Brian spoke to Resonance about genre trends, album symmetry, and the art of naming albums.
