[ aquarius records catalogue

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Showing results 951 through 1000 of 1150.

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SORRY. This is Franklin Bruno and co.'s super smart power pop.

Straight out of Orland, California it's another slab of hot wax psych rock scorchers from Nothing People. With Doug Pearson of Monoshock fame now a part of the band, these two songs find NP in fine form. Continuing their driving explorations in punchy and dirty rock that reminds us a lot of Chrome, Moon Duo, Hawkwind, Mission Of Burma, Naked Raygun, Wire, A Place To Bury Strangers, Oneida, and MX-80. What makes Nothing People so cool is that while so many other psych minded bands seem to really just narrow their focus on a very specific era of psych rock, Nothing People have found a way to bring together multiple elements from the last several decades into a punk spirited reverberation that doesn't come off like a simple imitation, but instead rings loudly with stripped down sincerity. The 7" comes in classy packaging with gold foil stamping and there were only 500 pressed so grab one fast!

Full length number two from these California drugged out psychedelic dirge rockers, who now count a member of late great Monoshock among their membership, which makes sense, as these guys whip up a similarly murky moody protopunk psychrock sound, but where NP's debut was a more noisy garage-kraut sci-fi psych rock blowout, Late Night does seem to sonically fulfill its monicker, crafting a darker dirgier moodier minimalism, the songs sprawling dark brooders, all whirring organs, pulsing processed guitars, swirling FX and reverb drenched vocals, that slip from hushed croon to almost soulful falsetto, all set amidst streaks and swirls, smears and blurs, a druggy late night sonic comedown, the record occasionally exploding into some propulsive crunch, or distorted pound, but spending most of it's time oozing and creeping, electronic rhythms wound around fluttery effected melodies, some sci-fi synths remain, adding a haunting cinematic vibe to the proceedings, pop songs melting and oozing from the speakers, for a super obscure reference, think the organ driven dour pop of the Velvet Monkeys, the same sort of moody meandery moonlit minimalism, dirgey ballads crossed with slo-mo garage rock, indie rock jangle slowed way down and transformed into something more twangy and maudlin, reminding us of times of Aussie post punkers Naked On The Vague. We loved the first NP record, but we're digging this one even more, a killer collection of murk pop gems, hooks everywhere, but wreathed in gauzy creep and wheezy shimmer, blurred shimmery buzz and hazy spaced out psychedelia. A new favorite for sure!

MPEG stream: When I Drink
MPEG stream: It's Not Your Speakers
MPEG stream: Stick In The Mud
MPEG stream: Pushing Buttons

What a kick ass slab of fucked up driving and dark yet totally rocking and catchy post-punk sounds! Nothing People offer up one of the most addictive full lengths in recent memory, chock full of pummeling, paranoid and no-wave tilted garage burners! Taking cues from the likes of The Birthday Party and Chrome, these songs have a hint of danger and dystopia without feeling forced or contrived. We also think a lot of bands like A Frames, Simply Saucer and a more seductive and melodic Mayyors. In fact Nothing People are like this awesome blend of a lot of the fucked up warped garage sounds that have come out on labels like Captured Tracks and Sacred Bones, but with a much heavier and meaty old school Amphetamine Reptile vibe that really fuels the fire of these smoking songs.

Joseph Nothing is the pseudonym for Japanese electronica artist Tatsuya Yoshida, who is half of the excellent Aphex-ish collaborative project Rom=Pari (and happens to have the same name as the ringleader of the Ruins, but isn't him). While Joseph

Some of us around here have become a little obsessed with Ke$ha, and that song "Tik Tok". The song is crazy addictive, and the fact that she's kind of a babe and has that whole haughty trampy rockstar thing going on, what can we say? But if we were gonna be totally honest, THIS is what we really wish Ke$sha sounded like, it's still sexy and slutty and a little bit filthy, but musically, it's way more dark and fractured and fucked up. A sort of Missy Elliot meets Glass Candy electro thing, but with plenty of T. Raumschmiere or Motor mixed in. Big stuttery beats, squelchy synths, woozy loops, twisted and tweaked effects, thick buzzy bass, and some sultry vocals that here and there are definitely a dead ringer for Ke$ha, but again, it's so much darker and more sinister, less singing, than sort of mewled and whispered and spoken, a sex kitten sort of croon, but the vocals often doused in effects or weirdly sped up, and screwed with in some way, which perfectly mashes with the constantly shifting sonic mashup in the background, all woozy and washed out and Portishead-y one second, deconstructed sliced and diced Art Of Noise the next, synthy Daft Punk euro groove the next, but always groovy, funky, and sexy, and yeah, this is the sort of shit they should be playing on the radio, even though it's probably way more suited to some dark and dingy danceclub in Berlin, way on the wrong side of the tracks.

MPEG stream: Let Go
MPEG stream: Stupid Happy
MPEG stream: Secret Life
MPEG stream: Swifty

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SORRY. The September release in the 20' to 2000 series of experimental/minimalist/electronica is from Noto. What has been so surprising of this series is the exceptional quality... I mean is there going to be a dud in the lot? Not yet! Carsten Nicolai - aka Noto and label boss for Noton/Rastermusic - presents perhaps his best best work of minimalist clicks and electronic pops emerging rather unassumingly at first, but later structuring themselves against slow moving rhythmic bass pulses.

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SORRY. Using the same sort of cdep format as the 20' to 2000 series (with 3" of data housed within the clear confines of a normal 5" disc), "Empty Garden" was designed as a soundtrack to an installation of the same name. Noto uses his oscillators, laptop glitchery, and other gizmos to mimic the insect buzz / cricket chirp disrupting the silence of an empty garden. After establishing the metaphor of these sounds, Noto forces the erratic chirp / buzz into his trademarked patterns of repeating rhythms and signatures. Unfortunately short at 20 minutes in length, but nicely presented.

Carsten Nicolai -- one of the most adept and original artists in the microsound aesthetic -- returns to his Noto moniker (after a number of releases as Alva Noto) for this double 10" of locked grooves. Each side contains a number of mathematically precise locked grooves that incrementally increase in frequency as one skips towards the center of the record, with each side breaking e:very pure sine tones f:solitary bleeps g:mulitple clicks h: "arithmetic division of loops through clippings" which is sort of a combination of the other three. Noto has also drilled an off-set hole, so these elements can be played with a sea-sick warble. Word of caution, the lower frequencies may cause some damage to your speakers at high volume.

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SORRY. Supernice packaging (three die cut holes in the booklet cover so you can see the three dots on the cd) and minimal electronics.

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SORRY. Musically, Noto's "Telefunken" is merely an oscilloscope modulating a headache inducing buzz for 16 minutes and test-tones for 3 minutes. To give Noto credit, "Telefunken" is cool in one respect, that it was designed to be hooked up to your TV through a VCR for a primitive multimedia experience! We haven't watched it yet (no such capabilites in the store), so perhaps the visuals, made from the same electronic signals as the audio, make up for what's lacking in the "music". But if you want to hear some really really great work by Noto (who just won top honors at this year's Prix Ars Electronica festival) definitely check out Alva Noto (one of Allan's favorites of the year) or Noto's 20' to 2000 contribution.

As if two simultaneous full-length releases were not enough, our favorite horror-show "black metal" band spits out this two-track ep. As always, with as much humor as horror. "Give Blood...Save Lives."

One of two recent, simultaneous releases by this amazing theatrical "black metal" band... "When you wish upon a star your wish is granted here they are..." The concept here? An end-of-the world Xmas record, combining holiday cheer with apocalyptic Y2K doom, somehow referencing both Nostradmus and Scrooge. Notre Dame is ridiculous twisted genius, there's no denying it.

Absolutely one of our new favorite "black metal" bands! One of two recent full-length releases (the other being a Xmas album!). Masterminded by Snowy Shaw (ex-King Diamond, Memento Mori, etc.) with female vocalist/dancer "Vampirella" as well as the De Sade brothers (Jean Pierre and Mannequin). Yes, it's silly. But it's also weird, surprising, catchy, and really well-executed, right down to the horror comix artwork and clever graphic design. The music is best likened to an even more over the top, operatic Cradle of Filth, with influences from '70s Italian prog-horror bands like Devil Doll and Goblin. And, I suppose, a touch of White Zombie. If the Addams Family were a metal band, they'd be Notre Dame! We're not usually a fan of metal that's so obviously tongue in cheek, but this is so genuinely great we can't help but love it.

We Are Nots is the super-fucking catchy debut for this synth-punk quartet from Memphis. The Nots could be the kid sisters of Jay Reatard's Lost Sounds, cranking out similar tension of sci-fi campiness, black lipstick frowns, and full-throttle punk propulsion. Originally, Nots were a two-piece comprised of Natalie Hoffmann (guitars / vocals) and Charlotte Watson (drums), with the former yelping out epithets in lockstep staccato with the non-stop THUMP-THUMP-THAP from Watson. Bass, synths, and the occasional backing vocal were brought in to wisely color the primitive songs with radioactive neon and black leather grime. The opening cut "Insect Eyes" girds on a B-movie synth-line diving back to the Damned's Black Album for inspiration, with an air-raid siren of a guitar lead that bends neatly around the anthemic barking from Hoffmann. Her voice is so classically punk in its untrained sneer, rhythmic delivery, and upturned scratchiness of every final syllable on the lyrics - which taken to the extreme would become the emphatic slurs from Mark E. Smith or the sandpaper abrasiveness of Poly Styrene. Hoffmann may not yet have the charisma and magnanimity of those two punk iconoclasts; but she more than makes up for it with smash 'n' grab enthusiasm and urgency. Eleven tracks the rip through their monotone riffs with scabbed knees, bruised elbows, and sugar-high mania, coming to screeching halt some 25 minutes after blasting out of the gates. A great introduction to a band for which we've got high hopes!

MPEG stream: Insect Eyes
MPEG stream: Strange Rage
MPEG stream: White Noise

For those of you hungry for more of The Notwist, here's a half hour long ep of three remixes, a 'version' and one soothing new instrumental song called "Red Room". Starting things off are two remixes of "Neon Golden" and "Pilot" by band member Martin Gretschmann (aka Console). Disappointingly they're somewhat watered-down versions of the original songs that don't really bring much more to the already groovy Notwist picture. In the remix process, they've lost a lot of the Notwist charm and distinction. The basis for the "Different Cars And Trains" version by Loopspool (a member of Notwist brethren the Tied & Tickled Trio) is actually a pleasingly stretched out and dubbed out song segment you might recognize from "Pilot". Of the five tracks, the strongest is definitely the stuttering remix of "This Room" by Four Tet and Manitoba. Certainly not essential unless you're a diehard fan.

MPEG stream: This Room (Four Tet and Manitoba Remix)

The Notwist have displayed quite a range of sounds and styles over their lengthy career, morphing from a more experimental outfit into a powerhouse band crafting some of the most scrumptious and infectious songs that have been in heavy rotation around these parts going on years now. In so many ways their range and breadth of sound position them as true kindred spirits to Radiohead. The same sort of pop / experimental music hybrid. While they have definitely demonstrated that they can really get to the heart of melodic avant-pop, we're sure this opportunity to score a film by Hans-Christian Schmid was an exciting prospect, allowing the band to once again zero in more on ambience and texture. Their score for Music For Storm is moody and brooding and could easily sound right at home on a record by The Necks, Sylvain Chaveau, Arve Henriksen, or any of our favorite hypnotic mood peddlers on labels like Miasma, Root Strata, Rune Grammofon and Type. Utilizing bowed xylophone, effects laden glockenspiel, minimal electronics and accordion, The Notwist have proven once again they are group who understand how to evoke and create strong moods and suspenseful sounds. This LP comes in a striking silk-screen print cover, with a 24-page photo booklet and a cd version to boot!

MPEG stream: Sarajevo 1
MPEG stream: Storm 1
MPEG stream: Prayer

If you're a regular AQ customer you already know that we're all huge fans of Village of Savoonga, the darkest and most dramatically experimental of the many musical outfits hailing from the loose collective of musicians based in Bavaria, Germany. Another group from this incredibly fertile scene, The Notwist started out as a punk band but have gotten better and more different with each release (reflecting the Acher brothers' growing musical smarts and proficiency), culminating in this nice rock album. But not just any indie rock, this music is wistful, lyrical, softly flowing music that's *extremely* well executed, no filler, and brings in all kinds of non-rock elements -- in sort of the same way that the Beta Band does -- *casually*, not making a big deal out of it. Cos electronic keyboards and programming and stuff (courtesy Martin Gretschmann of the solo electronic act Console) are merely one facet of The Notwist's sound, which also includes very catchy minor key hooks, attractively textural cracklings and wooden clop clops, plucked strings (cello?), machine made gurgles and squishies, even out-of-place (-but-not-really) breakbeats that actually work. In addition to the guy from Console, The Notwist personnel includes the abovementioned Acher brothers Micha (Village of Savoonga, Tied+Tickled Trio) and Markus (VoS, T+TT, Lali Puna). Highly recommended! This is a grower.

RealAudio clip: One Step Inside Doesn't Mean You Understand
RealAudio clip: Consequence

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY.

Hurrah! The Notwist's long awaited follow-up to aQ fave album Neon Golden has arrived! That 2002 album set the bar pretty high for modern German electronic pop/rock and its wistful forlorn songs really resonated with many of us. Needless to say, the over five year wait may have elevated our expectations to unrealistically lofty heights. So we're approaching with care, and we'll be totally honest The Devil You + Me hasn't quite knocked up on our butts and tickled our heartstrings the way that Neon Golden did. The exacting and seamless pop blend of programmed and organic instrumentation that left us aghast. All right, we said it, and we won't belabor the point. Devil's appeal is certainly not as immediate, but it does sink in slowly, and Markus Acher's hushed yearning vocal delivery is as charming and affecting as ever. Songs such as the title track are sweetly engaging in a surprisingly Belle & Sebastian way. Meanwhile others such as "Sleep" draw easy comparisons to the lovely pop-tronic tunes of Canada's Caribou. Overall, it's a much darker, less catchy, less pop structured collection of songs. A bit more brooding, a bit less dreaming, and perhaps drawing in a bit more of some of their other bands: both Village Of Savoogna's sprawling sonic explorations and Lali Puna's breezy, melancholic ruminations. Indeed, it instead favors more grand and sweeping journeys particularly with the gracious presence of The Andromeda Mega Express Orchestra. Ask yourself, when doesn't the presence of a bassoon and a harp add epic sorrow and fantasy panache (respectively)? We're sure this one's going to continue to lay down its roots long into autumn. If you're new to this band, Neon Golden's the place to start, but you definitely shouldn't overlook the charms of the Devil.

MPEG stream: Good Lies
MPEG stream: Gloomy Planet

NOW ON VINYL! Hurrah! The Notwist's long awaited follow-up to aQ fave album Neon Golden has arrived! That 2002 album set the bar pretty high for modern German electronic pop/rock and its wistful forlorn songs really resonated with many of us. Needless to say, the over five year wait may have elevated our expectations to unrealistically lofty heights. So we're approaching with care, and we'll be totally honest The Devil You + Me hasn't quite knocked up on our butts and tickled our heartstrings the way that Neon Golden did. The exacting and seamless pop blend of programmed and organic instrumentation that left us aghast. All right, we said it, and we won't belabor the point. Devil's appeal is certainly not as immediate, but it does sink in slowly, and Markus Acher's hushed yearning vocal delivery is as charming and affecting as ever. Songs such as the title track are sweetly engaging in a surprisingly Belle & Sebastian way. Meanwhile others such as "Sleep" draw easy comparisons to the lovely pop-tronic tunes of Canada's Caribou. Overall, it's a much darker, less catchy, less pop structured collection of songs. A bit more brooding, a bit less dreaming, and perhaps drawing in a bit more of some of their other bands: both Village Of Savoogna's sprawling sonic explorations and Lali Puna's breezy, melancholic ruminations. Indeed, it instead favors more grand and sweeping journeys particularly with the gracious presence of The Andromeda Mega Express Orchestra. Ask yourself, when doesn't the presence of a bassoon and a harp add epic sorrow and fantasy panache (respectively)? We're sure this one's going to continue to lay down its roots long into autumn. If you're new to this band, Neon Golden's the place to start, but you definitely shouldn't overlook the charms of the Devil.

MPEG stream: Good Lies
MPEG stream: Gloomy Planet

Prog from this Guapo related band.

Kick up your kitten heels and smooth out your voluptuous coif to the groovy sounds of Nous Non Plus! Driven primarily by snappy electric guitars and woozy keyboards, their songs run the gamut from pretty lounge fare to '60s Ye Ye Girl pep to the downright punchy garage pop. The fact that they sing mostly in French helps these New Yorkers slip right in step with the likes of April March and Stereo Total. Super saucy, coy'n'playful! If you're looking for a summertime combo this goes quite swimmingly well alongside the new album from Brazil's CSS!

MPEG stream: L'Amant
MPEG stream: Fille Atomique

We really couldn't resist the charm of the first two Nouevelle Vague records. Filled with covers of so many post-punk favorites all done in the groop's smooth and sultry samba soaked style. But on this latest record, any sense of their own unique take or interpretation of songs seems to have been lost and thus, the whole thing just falls pretty flat and sounds lifeless to our ears. Not sure if the world needed any more covers of the Violent Femmes "Blister In The Sun" and maybe it's time for Nouvelle Vague to listen to a Smiths song they haven't covered yet:"That Jokes Not Funny Anymore". 'Cause this time out everything feels so phoned in and lacking any true excitement or creativity...we really ain't feeling this one.

MPEG stream: Master And Servant
MPEG stream: Metal

Last year Nouvelle Vague seemed to hit the scene out of nowhere with a recipe we were surprised to discover hadn't been done to death yet. Sweet, swank versions of some of our favorite 80's punk, post-punk and new-wave classics. It worked then, and it works now, and now they are back at it again. This outing is another round of covers, this time The Buzzcocks, Blondie, A Certain Ratio, Billy Idol, The Cramps, Bauhaus, Visage and loads more. Trading in the samba delivery of the first album for a more Caribbean slant this time around and adding a bit of a darker vibe to the proceedings, this is still totally fun and wildly charming. While Bande A Part does have a few duds (does anyone need to hear U2 covered at this point?) it's still got enough fun moments to keep us smiling and dancing!

MPEG stream: Ever Fallen In Love
MPEG stream: Human Fly

100 percent pure fun! All your favorite early 80's new wave and post-punk classics done bossa nova style by a couple of French producers with some wonderful female vocalists from France and Brazil. The story goes that the producers (Marc Collin & Oliver Libaux) found singers who were unaware of the original versions in order to capture a totally fresh cover version. And they did! Joy Division, XTC, The Clash, P.I.L., Dead Kennedy's, The Undertones, etc. get the treatment. The perfect soundtrack for when you want something that will make you smile and dance around your house. This moves beyond guilty pleasure and ranks right up their with one of the most fun and well executed cover records in a long long time.

MPEG stream: Making Plans For Nigel
MPEG stream: Teenage Kicks

"Featuring The Cateroeternally Live Sound" it says, whatever that means...well, it means it's from the psychedelic '60s of course! Yep, the '60s psych pop reissues never seem to stop coming. Obscure bands with one collectable LP to their name having their tunes dug up and put out on cd at long last. In trying to keep up with the constant deluge, we've of course learned that not every reissue shoulda been -- but this 1967 album IS a good example of a worthwhile reish! Dunno much about 'em, and being a Radioactive disc there ain't much in the way of liner notes, but we know The Nova Local were an American band (from Chapel Hill, NC), who seem equally influenced by both Hendrix and the Beatles. Their songs feature lovely vocal harmonies alongside heavy organ and psych fuzz guitar work, and range from garagey, Nuggetsy fare a la the Electric Prunes to more orchestrated lite-psych, with some trippy interludes of surreal '60s silliness. The first track on side one, "$5 A Ticket" deserves minor hit status, we think (and no, of course it's not a song about going to a Fugazi show!). And they do a really great, uniquely laid-back and lengthy version of the oft-covered "Tobacco Road". One thing that makes this band something special is the voice of rhythm guitarist Randy Winburn, who sings lead on a lot of these tracks. Randy is indeed a fella, but his voice is high, almost weirdly womanly, contributing to the band's nice blend of dark and light here.

MPEG stream: $5 A Ticket
MPEG stream: Hitch Hike

Found a little stash of these, a 2005 release on New Zealand cd-r label Pseudo Arcana, long long long out of print, so odds are these are the last copies any one will see, but for a lucky few, you'll get to nab one of these to call your own. A single sprawling track of avant free noise drift from this NZ improv drone trio, a super minimal, surprisingly lush expanse of tinkling chimes, spidery fragmented guitar melodies, singing wineglasses, random percussive skitter, deep metallic rumbles, distant feedback, ominous psychedelic whir, occasional horn bleat, deep low end thrum, even some turntables, playing an old scratchy record of train sounds, a murky muted symphony of sonic smears, and blurred drift that ends up sounding like Philip Jeck spinning records by No Neck Blues Band, Avarus, Sunburned Hand Of The Man and Shadow Wing, in the hold of a giant freighter. Creepy, and moody, and mysterious and pretty goddamn cool. Long out of print, and so obviously crazy limited, we have 7 or 8 of these, and once they're gone, they're WAY gone... for good.

MPEG stream: Rameses II (excerpt 1)
MPEG stream: Rameses II (excerpt 2)

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Nova Scotian Arms is the solo project of Grant Evans, who runs the psychoactively inclined Hooker Vision label with his wife Rachel Evans, better known as Motion Sickness of Time Travel. Her ephemeral electronica laced with moonshine hallucinations and rural psychedelia made quite an impression in these parts with her first two albums on Digitalis; and there's definitely some overlap with Grant's debut lp Cult Spectrum as they appear to be sharing the same synths, set to druggy swoosh and sodden ambient amorphousness. But where Rachel crafts narcoleptic vocal melodies amidst her hypnotic, post-Kosmische synth patterns, Grant follows more the organic, accretive processes that aren't that far from Emeralds' early dronecentric work and the polyglot explorations of Brian Pyle (e.g. Starving Weirdos, Ensemble Economique, and especially RV Paintings). Amidst the Popul Vuh style elongated ambient phrasing of "Overcast Strumming (1st Delay)," Grant conjures hissing whispers and distantly tapped percussion hung with thick coats of reverb and echo, creating a somber elegance of faded memories furthering their decay through layers of dust and cobwebs. On the sixteen minute long "Emulsion," spooky wisps of synthesized smoke spiral into a darkly shimmering ambient wash undercut by the sound of Grant rasping his knuckles against an acoustic guitar, whose forceful riffs ooze out of the decomposing mass of decade-long growth from kudzu and Spanish moss. In all this spectral ambient decay, Nova Scotian Arms comes across not too far from the Twinsistermoon / Natural Snow Buildings camp or like a thoroughly deconstructed Steven R. Smith album. Druggy bliss-out dronemuzik, for sure!

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Now domestically available, another cool Krautrock reish from Revisited! Their recent cd-ifications of Eroc, Klaus Schulze, Embryo, and Amon Duul II, among others, have been in heavy rotation here at AQ, and this one joins the gang. Revisited appear to be reissuing titles from the legendary & collectable green-labelled 1000-series by the seminal krautrock label Brain, and this too is one of those "green Brain" records. Produced by AQ fave Achim Reichel, Novalis' 1975 self-titled release was the 2nd album from these keyboard-dominated, synthed-out "romantic" space rockers from Hamburg, and is a proggy, groovy, classical gas indeed. Imagine a krauty mixture of E.L.P., and Trans Am, perhaps. Keyboard whiz Lutz Rahn doesn't stint on the symphonic synths, and Novalis seem to specialize in taking both folk and classical motifs from the past and using them in a "futuristic" rock context. There's also plenty of guitar here too (with two guitarists in the band). The very first track, the sprightly "Sonnengefecht", starts things off with something of a '70s TV cop-show vibe, but one that fans of Zombi should dig. Further cuts reveal Novalis to be flamboyant, yet moody. Energetic, epic, erudite. Some of their lyrics were derived from the 18th century poetry of Karl Friedrich von Hardenberg, better known as Novalis, the band's namesake. Others are their own, as on one of this album's highlights, "Impressionen", which makes good use of themes borrowed from the 5th Symphony of Anton Bruckner. Like many of the other Revisited reissues, this includes bonus material not found on the original vinyl. Here you get a ten and a half minute, live in '75 version of "Impressionen". As usual as well, this is nicely presented in a digipack, with color photos in the cd booklet, and liner notes in both German and English. Keep 'em coming, Revisited -- there's quite a few other "Green Brain" albums we'd like to have on cd!!

MPEG stream: Sonnengefecht
MPEG stream: Impressionen

Novatron is the latest project from Anthony Di Franco (former noisemaker for Skullflower/Ax and no relation to Ani). Black electronics, heavy doses of malevolent feedback drone and sporadic chugs of grinding guitar & hammering electronic beats make for a particularly bleak album. If you liked Noisegate or Neurosis' most droning moments, this album is for you!

This one is going to be a major contender for drifty/dreamy/droney record of the year! We really have loved everything we've heard (and seen!) from Sarah Lipstate (she is a great filmmaker as well as a blissed out drone music maker). And each release of hers seems to soar just a little higher and reach new levels of daydream hazy washed out perfection. Desert Fires might just be our favorite outing yet from her, as it drifts and drips with a drugged out disposition that wanders through the outer realms yet flows so totally serenely. It reminds us a bit of the more spaced out and glacial outings by Kawabata Makoto, Steven R. Smith and Roy Montgomery. It's remarkable the way she's able to use her guitar to create such an ethereal and tripped out ambience, similar to the sound and feel that folks like Tim Hecker and Emeralds create in their soundscapes. It's a record that makes you want to close your eyes and just get lost in its soft focus and hypnotizing waves of sound forever. Utterly beautiful!

MPEG stream: Almost Alright
MPEG stream: Kites Calm Desert Fires
MPEG stream: Toothnest (for Chris Habib)

For some reason, it has been frustratingly difficult to restock last year's outing by Noveller, Desert Fires, which is such a shame as it was truly one of the years best drifting and dreamy albums. Here's hoping that her new record, this one right here, Glacial Wave, will not suffer the same distribution problems, as she has again crafted another exquisite collection of some of the most substantial blissed out sounds you are liable to hear all year long. It's been so nice to witness the evolution of Noveller's music, from her much noisier, harsh and slightly unfocused beginnings to the much more serene, spaced out and majestic tones and songs she's creating now. But we think that background in the noise scene has helped her create such a strong core and depth to these beautifully ethereal soundscapes. There is something both so mournful and harrowing about the sounds on Glacial Glow. Much like Grouper and Windy & Carl, Noveller has this amazing ability to create utterly haunting and mesmerizing moods in her music. We've been playing this as we go to sleep, as we wake up and actually at all hours in between as there's no better sounds for when we are feeling dazed and glazed. Highly recommended!

MPEG stream: Entering
MPEG stream: Alone Star
MPEG stream: Blue

We've been big fans of Noveller's trance inducing guitarscapes for quite a while now. She's one of those artists that takes her sweet time between albums, and that sort of meticulousness and patience comes with rewards. While her first five records all seemed to showcase just what she could do with just a guitar and handful of pedals, this time out she's expanded her sonic palette, adding washed out synths, subtle piano, even some murky electronics. What separates Noveller, and this album, from its peers, is that there is real song structure beneath the wall of sound that seems to cascade gloriously up and down and all around this whole record. Haunting melodies are deftly woven into the tracks, making the experience of listening to No Dreams one that taps into worlds of washed out memories, distant yesterdays, and a present moment that blurs the line between the material world and something much more ethereal and ephemeral. With soaring sonic elements that remind us of Robert Fripp alongside majestic crescendos that recall Glen Branca and Rhys Chatham, No Dreams also has a cinematic quality that evokes the come down moments of some of our favorite records by folks like Godspeed You Black Emperor and Mogwai. Noveller has managed to create a record that manages to be drifty and dazy without ever getting stale or static. The perfect soundtrack for when all you want is to wash away you day and let dreams whisk you away, blast this at full volume, and let yourself disappear into Noveller's gorgeous world of No Dreams...

MPEG stream: Mannahatta
MPEG stream: No Dreams
MPEG stream: The Fright

Noveller is the working name for avant-drone guitarist / filmmaker Sarah Lipstate. Having graduated from the legion sized guitar symphonies of both Glenn Branca and Rhys Chatham, Lipstate produced a couple of cd-rs, a cassette, and some tracks for some compilations. She's also been moonlighting as the guitarist for Parts & Labor, but it's this album that caught our attention. Recorded for the increasingly confounding label No Fun (less aggro noise these days and more occluded psychedelic dronemusik), Paint On The Shadows begins with a liltingly pretty, side-long construction of intertwining guitar loops and elliptical fingerpicked patterns that conjures all of the best that Grouper and Colleen had managed through their loopstation laboratories. All of these sounds blossom out of a harmonic bed of bowed guitar drones; and steady low end thrums sublimate into richly plucked chiming notes that could even double for Jozef Van Wissem. The flipside offers up two pieces which seem to reflect her live presentations, with ebows, motors, and hand-held tape decks driving the strings and pick-ups from her double necked guitar. With precise placements of the ebows and some choice tremolo effects, Lipstate generates phasing tones often heard in the cosmic explorations of Eno & Fripp's No Pussyfooting or certainly not that far from Emeralds. Another one of those hyper-limited lp pressings from No Fun. Just 300 were made, and don't expect these to last very long!

Former guitarist for Parts & Labor, Sarah Lipstate, has been fully entrenched in her far more minimalist ventures under the moniker Noveller. There seems to be a constant round of performances in New York and Brooklyn, occasionally finding Lipstate in one of Rhys Chatham's guitar symphonies; and she has found a comfortable home amongst the boys at No Fun. Red Rainbows is her second album released by No Fun, following the limited Paint On The Shadows LP. For the most part, Red Rainbows is a darker maelstrom than the first, although Lipstate does include the very lovely track "St. Powers" from Paint On The Shadows, accentuating chiming notes from her double necked guitar which blossom against a set of looping drones. The two opening tracks are far more ominous constructs with rasping noises streaming against the pure tonal flutterings from her bowed / ebowed guitar. "Tunnels" is the suitably nocturnal piece for ebbing low frequencies, glowing harmonic drones, and ghostly clatterings bathed in subterranean reverberations. Deathprod or Svarte Greiner certainly come to mind on a track as evocative as this. The finale features No Fun label boss Carlos Giffoni, although this is hardly the overblown excess you would expect from the man; rather, he offers some growling sawtooth electronics which sit in the background against the sustained vibrato from Lipstate's guitar. Very nice indeed!

MPEG stream: Brilliant Colors
MPEG stream: St. Powers
MPEG stream: Tunnels

After two full lengths on No fun, a split with Aidan Baker from Nadja, as well as a handful of limited releases and comp tracks, comes this latest, short sweet burst of beautiful avant drone, from Sarah Lipstate, who besides making beautiful drone music, also plays (or played?) guitar for the group Parts & Labor, and is an accomplished filmmaker. Over the course of her recordings, we've become quite enamored of Noveller's approach to drone music and minimal ambience, and this 7" just continues to demonstrate that she deserves the same sort of hype afforded to groups like Emeralds, considering the similar sonic terrain they explore. Warm liquid buzz, hazy and otherworldly wrapped around swirling FX and looped processed guitar, deep rumbling tones, shimmering synths, all floating on a wheezing chordal drift, an amorphous cloud of sound, soothing and tranquil and hypnotic. The A-side builds to a bit of a Sunroof! style climax before drifting off into a muted thrum. The B-side adds a loping guitar figure, a mesmerizing looped melody, bathing the sounds in an ethereal glimmer, creating a gorgeous slab of gauzy dreamlike pop ambience. So nice!

1971 Swedish hard rock power trio rarity, now available on cd. Pretty great heavy psych rock, kind of proggy too. Just like their first one. If you're into the heavy '70s psych that's not yet metal, you might want to check these guys out.

1972 Swedish hard rock power trio rarity, now available on cd. Pretty great heavy psych rock, kind of proggy too. With some bonus tracks, including some English language versions.

1970 Swedish hard rock power trio rarity, now available on cd. Pretty great heavy psych rock, kind of proggy too.

[ aquarius records catalogue — N ]