Deep eklypsis

25 Jun 2008

Mooncake (post rock is not dead...yet!)


…Mooncake is not a Chinese culinary folklore. It is a Moscow band that mixes two guitars, cello, bass and drums into a rattling blend of sounds. The music of Mooncake resides in the state of permanent development and, moreover, it is a personal experiment of each of the band’s members.

Formed two years ago, MOONCAKE took direction to guitar-driven Post-Rock (with influences ranging from GY!BE to 65DAYSOFSTATIC). Self-released single "More Oxygen, I said!" (2007) recieved numerous positive feedbacks among instrumental music lovers. Debut "Lagrange Points" album was released in May, 2008, with brighter musical palette (cellist added) and again by D.I.Y. paradigm. Live performances (with videoart attached) present immense power of the band and clearly show their maturity and professionality.


posted by minimalview at 01:49 0 comments

23 Jun 2008

Yellow Swans


Yellow Swans play a constantly evolving mass of psychedelic noise that isboth physically arresting and psychically liberating. Their music is powerful rendering of free rock, black electronics, and white light vibrations.Consisting of Pete Swanson (vocals, drum machine, and electronics) and Gabriel Mindel Saloman (guitars, feedback, electronics), Yellow Swans create a dense ocean of sound using various analog and digital machines, all locked in a spiraling web of feedback.
Yellow Swans, having spent two years in Oakland, CA, are based once again in Portland, OR, where they originally formed in the Fall of 2001.
In the Winter of 2008 released their third studio album, "At All Ends", on LOAD Records.Elements of lush drone stretch the proceedings in vast strokes. Yellow Swans veer towards krautrock territory with this new record, and it will go down in the big books as their most beautiful and vibrant record thus far. Layer upon layer of rich and dense guitar chug build into multi-orgasm songscapes that leave the loins sore and the mind spent.

In April 2008, Pete Swanson announced that the band will break up in June, at the conclusion of their current tour.


posted by minimalview at 03:17 0 comments

11 Jun 2008

A sheep on a roof - Quidam Dégomme

Babelgum
posted by minimalview at 02:43 0 comments

6 Jun 2008

Mono


Japanese 'new-classic'-heroes (they don't like to be referred to as 'postrock') are slowly conquering the hearts of audiences around the globe with their sober and minimalistic but dashingly honest compositions.
Mono were founded in January 2000 by guitarist Takaakira Goto. Working by himself, Goto completed most of Mono's demo tracks, partly influenced by guitarist Loren Connors. By late 1999 Goto began the search for band members; the first to join was fellow guitarist and long time friend Yoda. Soon afterwards the two guitarists linked up with bassist Tamaki and drummer Yasunori Takada. The group soon released a 4 track EP entitled Hey, You on the small independent label Forty-4.
Following Hey, You Mono put together its first full length album, Under the Pipal Tree in 2001 on Tzadik Records. Under the Pipal Tree, along with the EP, introduced Mono's style, which is focused on layered guitar melodies. All of Mono's songs are entirely instrumental, and Strings and pianos are also prominently featured in several songs. Under the Pipal Tree was met with somewhat mixed reviews and was referred to by Goto in a 2006 interview with Phil McMullen as a "very, very young album". In 2002, Mono finished their second album, One Step More and You Die. Many critics considered this as having a more distinctive sound than the preceding album.
Soon afterward, Mono moved on to a new project in direct response to the aftermath of September 11th. This album was titled New York Soundtracks and was recorded in collaboration with several important membersof the New York experimental scene, such as DJ Olive, Jackie-O Motherfucker, and Loren Connors. New York Soundtracks consists of remixes of all of One Step More and You Die's tracks.
Following Soundtracks, Mono embarked on the production of their next album, Walking Cloud
and Deep Red Sky, Flag Fluttered and the Sun Shined which was released in 2004. There is much back story to this album, especially behind one of its songs, A Thousand Paper Cranes. The inspiration for this song was the story of Sadako Sasaki, a young girl from Hiroshima who contracted leukemia at the age of 13, dying shortly afterwards. While in her hospital bed, Sadako attempted to fold one thousand paper cranes, which, according to Japanese folklore, had once cured a girl of disease. Following the release of this album, Mono began a lengthy world tour.
Mono's next musical endeavor was a collaboration with Japanese solo post-rock musician Katsuhiko Maeda (World's End Girlfriend). This collaboration, titled Palmless Prayer / Mass Murder Refrain, was released in 2005. Ian Mathers of Stylus Magazine praised the album as "the single most magnificent piece of music" he'd heard all year. Palmless Prayer / Mass Murder Refrain makes significant use of string instruments such as violins and cellos, accompanied by Mono's guitar work.
On June 24, 2006, Mono released their next album,
You Are There. You Are There met similar success to Palmless Prayer / Mass Murder Refrain and was accompanied by worldwide tours throughout 2006 and 2007.
A collection of EPs entitled "Gone", as well as a 100 minute long documentary called "The Sky Remains the Same as Ever", were released in late 2007.






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