Posts By Melissa Tan

EXPAT: Lower Spectrum – ‘Little Appeal’

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Moving from one place to another inspires something much more than ordinary. For Ned Beckley (Lower Spectrum), it was an opportunity to document everything. Beckley booked an around the world ticket, packed his gear and a laptop and spent six months collecting ‘field recordings’. The end result is his latest release, Little Appeal.

It’s very much a concept recording; a reflection of place and sound. Each track is beset with rich atmospherics and muted conversations in foreign tongues. This album stands out for it’s subtlety – transient both in subject matter and it’s depth of sound. The album begins in a dimly lit cellar in a French village, and ends sprawled across the horizon line of the American dream.

Read Ned’s photo diary and have a track-by-track wander of the album in full below.

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FRANCE

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Track 1: ‘Invocation’

We did a lot of WWOOFing. Wine is a big part of my family so hunting down the best wineries was our aim. We stayed with a beautiful couple who lived in a tiny village called Caux, in the Launguedoc region. Peter, the wine maker was a closet saxophone player obsessed with jazz and Chet Baker. At night he would sneak down into the cellar and play his sax. The acoustics sounded beautiful. He traded in his corporate lifestyle as an accountant to work on the land and I truly respected this.

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JORDAN

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Track 2: ‘Erasing Form’

Jordan was the ultimate. People would stop us in the street and say “Welcome to Jordan!”. Probably because no one goes there. 5 times a day from different mosques that surround Amman, you can hear the ‘call to prayer’. The felafels and hummus were the best I have ever eaten and the desert landscape was endless.

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GERMANY

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Track 3: ‘Isometric’

I found a lot of inspiration in Berlin, like most people do. My BPM kept creeping up.  I managed to find a room in an old nunnery right in the heart of Kreuzberg. It rained a lot so I set up studio and managed to get mighty productive.

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INDIA

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Track 4 : ‘Hollow’

India was intense. It burnt itself into my memory, in a good way. Every day was a blur of car horns, street faeces and mind-altering curries. Rickshaw rides were always the best because the drivers would play killer obscure Bollywood songs from the 70’s that have the most epic string arrangements. I love that.

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SLOVENIA

 

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Track 5: ‘Sanctity’

Ljubljana boasts medieval castles, snow tipped mountains and retrograde farming.  Experiencing the pristine countryside was always preferred over the hustle of big cities. Slovenia was all humble countryside and I found it a nice relief to explore.

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ITALY

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Track 6: ‘Estuary’

Tuscany was by far the highlight. We managed to hook up a 2 week stint of WWOOFing in a castle that dated back to 1042. It was incredible. We worked liked peasants, drank and ate like kings and slept like babies. The mother of the owner lived there also and was slightly losing her mind. She would often hide the key to the main entrance and we couldn’t get back in. Every morning she would ask us who we were and where we were from. They had a beautiful baby grand piano that I recorded that features in ‘Estuary’.

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TURKEY

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Track 7: ‘Heedless’

 

Istanbul is an amazing mix of colours and cultures. Full of cats, antiques and secret side streets. We stayed with a friend who is working as a journalist there. He had the low-down on all things good. He showed us an island 20 minutes ferry ride away that reveals views of Istanbul and it’s 16 million inhabitants.

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THAILAND

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Track 8: ‘Field of Glass’

Everywhere I went I took a Zoom mic with me. The field recording at the end of the track ‘Field Of Glass’ was a really peculiar experience and will be most likely misunderstood as the sound of rain. Walking through a small part of the jungle on an island in Koh Samed I kept hearing what sounded like the crackling of sherbet when it’s in your mouth. Taking a closer look at the ground under the trees you could see millions of earwigs crawling over and eating leaves and foliage. I put the mic on the ground and let them crawl all over it.

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AMERICA

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Track 9: ‘Vapours’

My bag got really heavy in America. Digging at record stores the size of supermarkets is overwhelming. I managed to find a lot of killer samples that found their way onto the album. I also saw a lot of incredible live music that inspired me. Particularly Nils Frahm in New York and Jon Hopkins in Williamsburg.

 

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More of Ned’s full travel photos can be viewed at his blog. Help fund more of Ned’s ventures and purchase Little Appeal on a name-your-price basis here.

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PREMIERE: Woody Pitney – ‘You Can Stay’

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Woody Pitney is a 22 year old singer from Melbourne. His debut EP garnered traction after hitting top spot on the JJJ Unearthed charts and he’s previously notched up some great support slots for Vance Joy and Big Scary. Did I mention he has a great beard? (Apparently a necessary commodity for being a successful artist nowadays…see herehere.)

The video for Pitney’s new track ‘You Can Stay’ plays out like a Smith Journal reader’s wet dream. Pitney is seen doing ‘manly’ stuff, like harpooning trout, lying in dirt and splashing his chiseled beard/good looking face with mineral water from some free-flowing stream. There’s also a great shot of Woody and his band playing instruments made out of driftwood and looking really stoked, despite the obvious splinters. Whattaguy.

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‘You Can Stay’ is taken from Pitney’s forthcoming EP Afterdust, which will be released on the 30th of September.

 

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PREMIERE: AXOLOTL – ‘My House’

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When I heard this track I felt like throwing up. IT’S THAT GOOD.

‘My House’ is the newest track from Axolotl and the latest single taken from their forthcoming debut album, set for release in early 2014. While the Melbourne five piece have previously supported acts like Bonobo and How To Dress Well, I think this track makes it very clear that these guys are prepped for some serious airtime. ‘My House’ is the closest thing I’ve heard to a near perfect pop track in a while. It’s a visceral, violet-hued pop number with the a bit of stage production chutzpah. Ella Thompson (The Bamboos) has some damn fine fixating vocals which walk the line between hesitancy and desperation here; her refrain reminds me a bit of Alisa Xayalith – or maybe a female version of M83’s Anth Gonzalez. The band have previously carved their way through some beautifully produced tracks so the standard of this doesn’t come as too much of a surprise. Last year’s Autonomy EP was an enjoyable slice of ‘dream-pop-nice’, but the backbone of ‘My House’ has way more grit (and bass). Also – HUGE chorus disclaimer on this one, but all intentions are good.

The band recently secured publicity and financial support from Arts Victoria to produce their debut LP. I get a really good feeling about this. Ready for the international music market in 3, 2, 1…

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PRESENTS: ‘COOL PARTY’

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Cool. That word still hurts. I gave up a long time ago at 13 where my aspirations ended at owning at least two pieces of Dada Damani clothing and saving enough pocket change to buy an Amanda Perez CD. No regrets though. Turns out all the other gawky kids who also spent recess labeling their floppy disks in the library and tinkering with the Casios at concert band practice ended up doing alright. Most of the them turned out to electronic freaks of nature (see list below for proof).

We’ve teamed up with our friends from incredible Brisband/NYC electronic label Silo Arts for a not-so-official BIGSOUND showcase & after party, aptly named ‘COOL PARTY’.

 

☯ FEATURING ☯


CHARLES MURDOCH
FRIENDSHIPS
RAINBOW CHAN
CASSIUS SELECT
THE HARPOONS
NAKAGIN
GUERRE
TINCTURE
HTML FLOWERS
MOTION PICTURE ACTRESS

+MYSTERY DJS 

 

Come and celebrate all things fun with 10 of Australia’s best electronic/pop acts + FREE entry. It also happens to fall on my birthday, so there’s a high chance you’ll find me in a corner of Alahmbra Lounge cradling a loop pedal and eating cake.

Full event details here. See you there. #COOL

 

 

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LISTEN: Manor – ‘Architecture’

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Aside from cheap vinyl and tinnitus, coupled-up duos are probably one of my favourite things about music. While that’s possibly just the Thurston/Kim truism I’ve been harbouring for forever – or the general assumption that tormented bed friends make better musicians (true?), I’ve always found that these kind of musical partnerships give a depth and a truthful backlog to artist’s songwriting, something that a group of boys, or girls clamouring on about their hormones could never provide.

Manor are Nathaniel Morse and Caitlin Duff. Both Morse and Duff previously played in now sadfly defunct Adelaide band Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire!, before relocating to Melbourne. I really doubt these two are even a couple, but in respectable dream-pop tradition ie. Tennis, Chairlift, Wye Oak, Big Deal – they are for the sake of this write up.

The duo’s previous single ‘Afghan Hound’ may have been equitably more math-rock on the outset, but the band’s new single ‘Architecture’ is timeless pop right from the first off-beat. To the main point, the fledging groove here sounds waaay too much like Chairlift’s Caroline Polachek doing a cover of Men At Work’s ‘Land Down Under’ for anyone to ignore.

Manor are releasing their debut EP at the end of 2013. GET THIS IN YOUR EARS.

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MAP August 2013

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It’s that time of the month where you can snack on Argentinian folk, Estonian doom-metal and the musical genius of 30+ countries (including ours) while holding a fag in one hand and a cheeseburger in the other. Music Alliance Pact is back for August with a heap of amazing new tracks from our blog friends around the world.

Click the play button icon to listen to individual songs, right-click on the song title to download an mp3, or grab a zip file of the full 30-track compilation through Ge.tt here.

ps. If you haven’t peeked over at our new MAPCAST podcast segment or aren’t stalking our new Soundcloud account yet – get to it slackers.

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ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
Pablo MalauriePasto En La Espalda

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After psychedelic pop act Mataplantas broke up in 2009, their guitarist and singer Pablo Malaurie started a solo career by releasing a minimalist folk album called El Festival Del Beso. In 2011, he was chosen by Devendra Banhart as the opening act for his Buenos Aires concerts. Pasto En La Espalda is our favorite track from El Beat De La Cuestión, his second effort, where he shows the consolidation of a growing career, which includes extensive touring and collaborations.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
EscAtomic Shadow

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Esc are a Melbourne four-piece making music in the great Australian tradition of depraved pub-rock spliced with post-punk. The band’s latest single, Atomic Shadow is both menacing and danceable, with a tight rhythm section and harmonies that lighten Max Sheldrake’s terse vocal.

AUSTRIA: Walzerkönig
Maur Due & LichterFaces

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Much like Klangkarussell’s über-hit Sonnentanz, hugely successful in German-speaking countries and the Netherlands, fellow Austrians Maur Due & Lichter produce light, loungy and summery electronic music that works equally well in clubs, hotel pools and urban beach bars. This Night Was Meant To Stay, from which Faces is taken, is a concept album portraying a night out in Vienna.

CANADA: Quick Before It Melts
EONSBrothers & Sisters

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Arctic Radio, the debut album from Toronto-based musician Matt Cully aka EONS, is aptly named; the melodies are crisp like bitter north winds and his lyrics penetrate past even the warmest of winter gear. There is a warmth, though, a deep passion in the music that holds back the cold, as evidenced in Brothers & Sisters. Cully is joined on vocals by Misha Bower, and both are members of Bruce Peninsula, another Canadian treasure worth exploring.

CHILE: Super 45
MeliéPartir

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Melié, who take their name from the French filmmaker Georges Méliès, released their first EP, Compartir, this year. Here, they deliver atmospheric, calm post-rock, highlighting their vocal harmonies and dreamlike melodies, giving birth to a complex but focused sound. Neighbouring Grizzly Bear and Local Natives’ imagery, Melié is one of the most interesting new acts in Chile’s indie-rock scene.

COLOMBIA: El Parlante Amarillo
Schutmaat TrioYou Died In My Future

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Despite their name, Schutmaat Trio is actually a quartet, led by Alvin Schutmaat, who experiment with post-rock and refresh the local scene with well-produced and elaborate sounds. You Died In My Future is taken from their album 6:15, released this year as a pay-what-you-want download.

DENMARK: All Scandinavian
PRE-Be-UNX-ray Pop

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PRE-Be-UN aka Nicolai Kleinerman Koch (also of Oh No Ono, Choir Of Young Believers and Boom Clap Bachelors) releases his debut solo album Clean Spasms this month. I call it ‘bit-pop Beatles’, with first single Mysteriously In Love already grabbing online attention with its wonderful fusion of the 1960s and 1980s – not least visually. Here’s X-ray Pop, a MAP exclusive download.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: La Casetera
Chino SingMe Voy

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Dashed hopes, tropical imagery and fresh reggae beats combine on Chino Sing’s latest song, Me Voy. Chino has made music with a host of local musicians, friends and artists, but now he’s working on his first solo album which will feature a blend of reggae, roots and various Caribbean themes and sounds.

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PREMIERE: Gang of Youths – ‘Evangelists’

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Gang Of Youths

Gang of Youths describe themselves on their Facebook page as ‘HUNGRY BROS’ who ‘ACCEPT ALL PAYMENTS; CHEQUE, CASH OR CARD’. They also tell us they make music that sounds like ‘EMOTIONAL-ASS, 10-TRACK CONCEPT ROCK’. While the band seem to have a penchant for writing everything on the internet in caps, all that yelling makes sense when you listen to lyrics of their new track ‘Evangelists’. 

We first noticed this band in May after listening to their earlier demos, which were super impressive. So surprised the labels haven’t come scrambling yet. Yet.

‘Evangelists’ was co-produced with The Preatures’ Jack Moffitt and mastered by Chicago-based engineer Carl Saf. The track was “penned in a hospital waiting room after battling with an extended period of writer’s block”. It’s a cathartic track with straightforward lyrics (I have made more friends in Hell than I have in Jesus land..) all of which suggest the mater nerves very close to a plight of personal experience, rather than just some case of regular writer’s block.

So their lead singer sounds like an angry Brandon Flowers on this track – and their pop sound is radio presenter’s wet dream, but there is something really poignant about the lead vocal. I previously described Gang of Youths’ sound is as a ‘Win Butler at your birthday/Casablancas at your funeral’ band after spinning air-punching stadium number ‘A Sudden Light’. However, these guys shine most when they sing out from the place that defies whatever shit bands like The Jungle Giants harp on about. And with that ‘Evangelists’ picks up where incredible ‘Riverlands’ left off.

Gang of Youths will be supporting Cloud Control on their upcoming national tour. It’s probably the last time you’ll get to catch them, since the band will be relocating to the USA after the tour (a good place to purge to the Mormon population).

Give these guys 6 months (maybe less) to start filling venues and exhausting radio play. A band like this deserves good things. Preach.

‘Evangelists’ will be available to purchase online this Friday.

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