fruits de mer new releases

Fruits De Muir have just started sending out their new summer vinyl releases. Tor Peders, Craig Padilla and Tir na nOg are now available from their web site. Beautifully recorded and packaged as usual and all at excellent prices.
One of the finest independant labels around.

Tor Peders
The man from strangefish one returns with a double LP of kosmische/synthesiser sounds that recalls Klaus Schulze and the Sky label - 80+ minutes of inner space music, late-night listening, all previously-unreleased on vinyl or CD; colour vinyl, naturally Guaranteed horizontal listening pleasure

Craig Padilla
A brilliant instrumental classic psychedelic, progressive rock, even spacerock and surf rock album from a Swedish band which was only recorded a few years ago, but might have been lost forever - except we found it; it's like the best moments of your Vertigo/Charisma/Harvest collection! (includes a bonus 7”)

Tir na nOg Ireland's prog-folk/acid-folk legends are still creating magical music over 40 years after their first slbum was released by Chrysalis; they join Fruits de Mer with a four-track 7” featuring three spellbinding new songs and a unique cover of the Silver Apples’ 60s cult classic ‘I Have Known Love’ - colour vinyl, of course

Here's 'Sonar' - an excerpt from Craig Padilla's new double LP

astralasia vinyl on fruits de mer

Fruits De Mer summer albums have the unmistakeable quality the London independant label have been consistently releasing for some years now.
Astralasia, described by All Music as "mysterious ambient-dub and tribal house" are pretty much born from the New Age early 90's and have a good dozen recordings behind them by now.
Their latest for FDM 'Wind On Water' is exactly where they want to be.. on vinyl.
The bands Marc Swordfish...

'Wind On Water' mostly came about thru jams, a bit similar to our first cassette, rather than being sample-led; it kinda takes us to a more organic, free situation, especialy to redo them live. it certainly makes it more exciting for us, even our full-on wig-outs. The current line up is so fluid, it's certainly a most exciting place. Vinyl releases matter to us more than anything and are still paramount, no matter how many people download it or cds,its not the same buzz or sound/art representation gratification, some magick disappears. we may be in a digital age but we are still real, let's keep it so..."

In his usual open humour Keith Jones at FDM describes the sleeve as "black and white optical image card sleeve housed within a optical image pvc outer sleeve -- so the images disappear when you put the two together (that's the theory anyway, we haven't printed them yet!) "
Let's hope it all works out K and them printers get it matched.

Wind On Water is released in early June 2014 - more information here
One look at the artwork and you sort of know what's waiting in this excerpt of their track 'Rangoon'. High quality trance begins >

I am dust and analogue

Gary Numan's resurrection from post 80's gloom continues to rise. After his long period in an exile of "use to be a pop star" the recent album 'Splinter' has placed this affable man right back at the centre of the charts. It's a good thing that class will out. It doesn't always happen but it couldn't happen to a nicer guy... and you can also be sure he's sick of hearing that. Thing is being a moody bastard aint Gary's style even though his recordings are dripping with moody emotions.
This latest single I Am Dust" taken from of his 'Splinter' is one of the best tracks on the album. Produced by a genuinely moody bastard Trent Reznor, Numan's voice lifts the familiar Reznor synth heavy ostinato beats from a cry of desperation into yell of celebration. There's always been an echoe of Berlin era Bowie triumphant freedom with Numan's vocals and it always sounds so bloody uplifting. It might be a familier sound in Numan's music but it's not one anyone else can or does touch. It is simply Gary Numan's sound.

The video for "I Am Dust" has had extra attention too, and in direct contrast to the state of the art sound this has been made from an analogue source -

Directed by Logan Owlbeemoth with effects by Omebi Velouria, this video was made using a Tachyons + video glitch synth effected live via a HI-8 camera and a CRT television to create triply, blurry, VHS-style images of Gary Numan as he sings the song. In a nod to Gary's analogue roots, no computer post production was used in the making of this video.

But then Gary was always from the MTV generation of artists and this suits the whole thing perfectly, and also in keeping with the present psychedelic retake that's being seen more often.
It must all be giving the man an enormous boost to his confidence. Still relevant after all these years. Couldn't happen to a... (stop that ! - ed)

songs from a broken mind

Gary Numan returns from a 7 year break. To paraphrase a recent interview he explained there were too many distractions to be able finish anything. Too many songs unfinished and thrown away.
And by that he meant completely deleted. For a songwriter, that's either a very brave thing to do or slightly unhinged, verging on the neurotic. But then Gary has always been a fragile soul and he wears that curse openly, In past interviews listening to Numan talk about his rise to pop stardom in the 80's you always get the sense he was sort of hurled unintentionally into massive recognition. We all know the effects of such saturation can severely damage some musicians more than others. The thing is after all that pop worship and naturally alongside that comes the trolling, Gary Numan has always seemed a really decent guy.
Now after his recent break of 7 years it's a damn good thing to see his return to recording, and concerts to follow with the new album 'Splinter (Songs From A Broken Mind'. See there, even the title reflects that fragility again, but the last thing 'Splinter' is, is fragile. It's a true return to the electronic density, texture and shear audio power in this sumptuous sound. Dark, even ominous with shards of musical technology shattering and reforming before your ears. His voice sounding not a day older than his first record, the lyrics have been well described as "confessional and sharply observational" (Ian Shirley). Numan always did have that turn of phrase that seemed familiar yet completely original in its use.
For artists since the 80's who delve into the sonic zone of electronics, from rap to electro-rock, and their influences have remained guarded there is now some open recognition by them that Gary Numan's music has inspired a whole new generation. Dues are finally being paid to the man.
'Splinter (Songs From A Broken Mind)' is released today.
And mighty impressive it is too.
Go and buy the album directly from his site.
Here is 'I Am Dust'.

UPDATE 16th October: Gary is currently on tour in the States this month (October). Here he is in the Amoeba Records store in Hollywood (where he's due to play a free gig today), talking about his favorite albums. A decent guy, like we said.

nine inch nails in the studio

With Nine Inch Nails ripping in to this summers festivals three new songs have been premiered from the much anticipated 'Hesitation Marks' album. "Copy Of A", "Find My Way" and "Disappointed" (see previous post for the live version of "Find My Way").
Now the actual cut from the album surfaces of "Copy Of A". Sounding excellent from the off with sequenced electronics reviving an 80's disco beat like something from Giorgio Moroder (remember?). Reznor's voice sounds in fine form as was evident by the live clips and here he floats an almost Eastern counter melody to the pumping electro. Clever words too.. "copy of a copy of a copy of a... "
'Hesitation Marks' is out September 3rd. It's gonna to be big.

eno

The first time Brian Eno was seen with Roxy Music bent over an early moog synthesizer busily turning it's controls the immediate reaction was "hello, and which planet has this one arrived from?".
But now looking at his 40+ years of creativity the man really did see the future and yes, became it.
Today if you go anywhere on the www which has got a link with music it's more than likely the Eno thumbprint has been left behind.
OK just look at a slice of his output..
After leaving Roxy Music, in 1972 he developed a tape delay system with Robert Fripp (King Crimson), described as 'Frippertronics'. Fripp still uses it.
He then embarks on a solo career almost immediately between 1973 and 1977 he created four albums of largely electronically inflected pop songs and virtually invents ambient music.
Late 70's works with David Bowie as a writer and musician on Bowie's influential 1977–79 'Berlin Trilogy' of albums, Low, "Heroes" and Lodger,
In The 80's produces pop records and gets involved with subculture new wave bands, and releasing more solo works.
In the 90's produces the six-second start-up music-sound of the Windows 95 operating system, The Microsoft Sound.
In 1996, he collaborated in developing the SSEYO Koan generative music system that he used in composing the hybrid music album Generative Music 1:
Into the 2000's he develops a music transformation player for an iphone called Bubble.
On top of that producing videos for gallery display and collaborating with visual artists, and produces more hit pop records
And that lot is just a brief description.
Eno describes himself as a "non-musician". A little beyond that you might think, more like a living installation.
Here's the 1st track from the 1992 album "Nerve Net".

gary numan

Gary Numan received the ‘Legend’ award this month at the first ever Artrocker Magazine awards in London. Numan, who rose to fame in the late 70's as the front man, writer and producer for Tubeway Army, is considered one of the pioneers of new wave and electronic music. Numans later music would go on to be a lot darker and industrial sounding, though always keeping that familiar Numan sound.

Numan has said that his experimental style was developed in the early days by hooking up keyboards and synthesizers through guitar pedals to make noises that he liked. Although he is widely know for his electronic and synthesized music, Numan has stated that he has always primarily been a guitar player.

Numan's musical style and experimentation has been copied and covered by many musicians in many styles since first appearing in the music industry, with many famous names including Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails and Marylin Manson citing him as a huge influence.

Here is an amazing live performance of A Prayer For The Unborn from the year 2000 album "Pure"

e2 - e4

December 12th is the 30th anniversary of one of the most influential pieces of experimental music made by Manuel Gottsching, one of the leading figures and guitarists in the "krautrock" genre and founder of the group Ash Ra Tempel.
His style and technique influenced dozens of artists in the post-Eno ambient and New Age scenes in the 1980s and 1990s. His 1981 solo album E2-E4 became a classic and was influential in the development of electro house, prog rock, techno, ambient and 'kosmiche'.