SUNN O))) are pleased to present Life Metal, their first new studio album in four years, due for release on Southern Lord in April 2019. The album will be supported by their first European tour since 2016, including their first ever French tour - dates and details below.
At the very beginning of 2018 SUNN O))) co-founders Stephen O'Malley & Greg Anderson set out on a path toward a new album production. They were both determined to create new music and a new method of working in the studio, without forgetting the long and proud history of production and studio accomplishments forged during their first two decades of existence (and the members' own musical experiences out of the band's). One long term goal was completely clear: to record Sunn O))) with Steve Albini in his Electrical Audio studio. Steve took the call, said "Sure, this will be fun. I have no idea what is going to happen."
Greg and Stephen gathered twice that spring for writing, conceptualising and riff woodshedding in the very building where the band was formed: Downtown Rehearsal in Los Angeles. Sonic cosmoses, flashes of abstract colour (synthetic and objective) and themes emerged from the mastered depths of saturation and circuits between the two players and their mountains of gear. Themes developed in terms of brightness and energy, while visionary cues pointed toward subconscious areas of practice and the pair realised they were exploring other zones of consciousness via sound/time and sound/energy manipulation. In early summer a pre-production session with full backline, as a trio with T.O.S. on Moog, was recorded at Dave Grohl’s 606 studios, Northridge, California.
In July 2018 SUNN O))) spent just over two weeks in Chicago at Electrical Audio (Studio A) with Steve Albini at the helm. The results are astounding: there is breadth and luminosity of colour, it sounds vast. The sessions were impeccably recorded, authentically represented and completely accurate. The spectrum cracked the firmament open in clarity. An all analogue technique was used, they recorded and mixed on tape, providing a creative gateway for SUNN O))) to evolve their production methods into stronger, confident, performance based and a more logical executive process. The album was mastered and lacquers cut from tape in October by SUNN O))) ally Matt Colton at Alchemy in London. The LP version is a AAA album, recorded and mixed on tape via a completely analogue production, from the input of the band's amplifiers and the air coming off the speakers in front of the microphones to needle touching the pressed vinyl on your turntable.
Continuing one of the main currents of the SUNN O))) concept, depth of exploration within collaboration, brought forth Hildur Guðnadóttir to the Sunn O))) constellation. Hildur is a sometime live collaborator of Sunn O))) and a renowned film music composer, former member of the bands Múm, Pan Sonic and Angel. She was a long time collaborator with the composer Jóhann Jóhannsson (RIP). Hildur lent her incredible attitude, as well as her voice, breath and electric cello, and the enigmatic haldorophone to the proceedings, culminating in the epic composition/concerto "Novæ". The cosmos clearly expands.
Tim Midyett, a close friend of Greg and Stephen since the Seattle days of the early 90s (and member of Silkworm, Bottomless Pit and Mint Mile), joined in a foundational role tying earth to sound with wicked performances on aluminium neck bass and baritone guitars: instruments he helped pioneer playing back in the 90s (alongside Steve and Shellac of course). Dark matter is reality.
Prolific new music composer Anthony Pateras arranged and recorded an incredible contribution of pipe organ for a piece titled "Troubled Air" (titled after an essay by author Aliza Shvarts, who also penned the liner notes for Sunn O)))’s Kannon) at Schlosskappelle, Schloss Solitude, Stuttgart. String theory of space.
The resulting album is titled Life Metal. It is fully realised and completely real. The record was produced by the core of Stephen & Greg & arranged by the greater constellation Sunn O))). Paintings by visual artist Samantha Keely Smith graciously adorn the sleeve and provide a perfect suitable mask to the proceedings. They collide ideas of 19th century romanticism & late 20th abstract expressionism (mysticism) with Sunn O)))’s approach to metal (via reference points of Arbo, Turner, Delville, Richter, Turrel, Wou-Ki). Photographer Ronald Dick shot them in baths of light colour representing depth of sound pressure in the work.

A&R [Reissue] – Masahiro Maeda
Artwork [Reissue] – Ishikawa Ami
Bass – 佐久間コウ*
Drums – 三条通*
Guitar – 好機タツオ*
Keyboards, Tape – バ・ナ・ナ*
Percussion – ユン・ツボタジ*
Photography By – Shinya Fujiwara
Supervised By, Reissue Producer [Planning], Liner Notes – Minoru Wakasugi
Voice – 佐藤薫*

鸠摩智作于大雪山中。

流云掩辉月

A the beginning of 2015 my friend Milo heard some of these songs and told me about the film. I watched it and was dumbfounded. I felt the aesthetic made complete sense with the strange themes I had been obsessed with over the past couple of years. I was curious to see what my songs sounded like when synced with the images, which turned into a 2-day bender where I soundtracked the entire film, creating a weird collage of the ambient music I had made over the last 2 years.
The film gave me a structure to follow and themes to stick to. It gave clarity to this music that was made mostly out of and through chaos. It also gave me the balls to put it out… I wanted to do some screenings but the guy who owns the rights to the film only wants the original version of the movie out there. I can’t blame him, I’m sure Paradjanov wouldn’t want some kid in NY pissing all over his masterpiece and calling it a soundtrack! I’ve listened to it a couple of times without watching the movie and I think it stands on its own. Or at least I hope it can!

《无字汉音帖》三幅总称，《文王帖》率先登场二次跨年。所有声部疏密奏合，穷尽营造明暗氛围、幽古意境；运用汉声字音重组以人声唱念为呈现的手法及特征，彻底迴避套路并完成回归乐音抽象之属性，力求与听众共同拓展想象空间……《武王帖》、《少公帖》持续调味中，亦指日可待……
乐手司职：
王晓芳：扬琴 /人声 /打击乐
文宾：合成器 /人声
窦唯：扬琴 /人声 /人声设计
打击乐 /键盘
文大可：吉他
录音司职：
制作：窦唯/暮良文王
录音混音：文宾
制作执行: 文宾
录音棚：文宾录音工作室
录音助理：大可 芳芳
录音时间：2018年 11月
鸣谢：单晓帆 校友子江团队及所有爱乐众人

从97年买了他的第一把吉他,July Skies就一直是Antony Harding的个人乐队.03年起,另一支氛围后摇乐队Epic 45的成员Ben Holton和Rob Glover也常参与音乐录制与演出.July Skies的音乐正如其官网上所形容的“...70年代记忆的碎片...废弃的机场...无尽的童年夏日...穿过树叶斑斑点点的阳光...褪色的童真...灰色的英伦雨天...失踪的飞行员...记忆里一个模糊的微笑...”
继02年"Dreaming Of Spires"及04年的"The English Cold"两张专辑,和06年一张"Where The Days Go"的精选后,令人期待已久的新专"The Weather Clock"终于在08年面世.此次的新作早在06年秋天就已计划发行,全长版专辑则为十二曲并附赠一张7曲EP.限量三百张,仅在Make Mine Music网站订购.整张专辑延续了July Skies一贯简单、质朴的基调.极简的吉他碎拨,回旋缠绕的配乐,及鸟叫声等采样,营造出飘渺空灵的氛围.迷离,舒缓,如同其专辑封面上迷人的英伦村庄景色.
The sound of July Skies is about lost youth, fractured memories of the 1970’s, pylons across fields, abandoned airfields, endless childhood summers, dappled sunlight through leaves, forgotten England, the romance of the heavens well after closing time, countryside, mornings in May, ruins, faded innocence...
The Weather Clock has been in development for years, originally slated for release on Make Mine Music at least as far back as the fall of 2006, only to get pushed back time and again. But now it’s finally here, and it’s really more of the same from Harding and his collaborators (which includes members of Epic45).The beauty of the recently constructed regimented housing estates, fresh from the municipal architects drawing board.the green of front lawns against the blue of the summer sky.....it is the sound of the empty school hall once the summer holidays had commenced.... children playing on distant grassy hills far from the edge of the estate....faded branch line summers where steam met diesel.....the sound of swallows across the fields on a fresh dew drenched May morning.....the nothingness of days and afternoons….the innocence and lightness of a breeze through an open window, striking pastel patterns on curtains which billow….the sound of BBC closing down broadcasts during the daytime and displaying the TV test card for the afternoon, whilst the country continued to work, play or learn....this is the sound of The Weather Clock.

辑介绍：
香港MCB杂志评出的100张欧美最具革命性专辑之一，评语为：“美国后摇滚体系的先锋乐团，一张影响着整个后摇运动发展的导航唱片。”
存在于1987-1991年间的美国post-rock乐队，这是他们的第二张，也是最后一张完整的录音室专辑，专辑发行不久乐队即告解散。他们在音乐中大量使用吉他噪音和怪异的和弦来营造旋律和氛围，人声退居到很不显眼的位置。这张专辑被许多人认为是第一张后摇滚专辑，影响十分深远。专辑发行的时候，封套上留了个地址，希望有兴趣参与的女音乐人和他们联系。PJ Harvey曾经给这个地址去过信，但那时乐队已经不存在了。
关于Slint：
（引自jickbin朋友在
的介绍）
肯塔基州路易维尔的 Slint 成军于 1987 年，在出版两张叫好不叫座的专辑《Tweez》(1989) 和《Spiderland》(1991) 后便宣告解散﹝1994 年出版的迷你辑《Slint》录制于 1990 年左右﹞，但影响力却随着团员四散新组的乐团，和无数受 Slint 启蒙而纷纷仿效的后进，而与日俱增。被众多媒体包括 Alternative Press、 Pitchfork 等选为90 年代百大专辑，NME、Melody Maker 等选为乐史百大专辑，由 Steve Albini 制作的 《Spiderland》是乐史第一张可以称作后摇滚的唱片。这个堂皇的冠冕虽然成就了后来 Slint 无与伦比的传奇名声，但实际上听过 Slint 音乐的人，其实少得可怜，不少人可能只听过 1995 年发的《Kids》原声带里收录的结束曲〈Good Morning Captain〉。但无庸置疑的，从 Polvo、June of 44、Dirty Three 到 Mogwai、Godspeed You Black Emporer!、Sigur Ros，Slint 的影响至今持续发酵。
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Electrelane are an instrumental moody pop electronic/punk band from England. These ladies make music reminiscent of Stereolab or Ennio Morricone's classic soundtracks. Mr. Lady records.

★ 惊爆英国乐坛之伦敦混种折衷派五人新乐队Hot Chip、以宛如英国版LCD Soundsystem之姿，得到DFA幕後加持顺利转进EMI、所推出之Time Out (London) ★★★★★ 五星、BBC Collective、Uncut、Observer ★★★★ 四星、NME 8 分推荐全新大碟《The Warning》
★ Hitoradio.com︰「清楚可见那企图跨越黑人跳跃放客与低调破碎之IDM的有趣实验…如此黑白两跨，听来却毫不张狂！」★★★★
★ 强力推荐NME读者评选8分推荐首支单曲＜Over And Over＞与DJ杂志 ★★★★☆ 四星半推荐第二支主打单曲＜And I Was A Boy From School＞。
江山代有才人出，随之同时制造新名词。後者被发明创造的速度显然已经快过乐谈改朝换代的节奏，以致每一辈新进场的乐迷总要困惑於那些乍看不知所以然的分类标签。关於Hot Chip，这2004年方获BBC Collective选为年度新秀(New Talent)的伦敦混种折衷派新乐队，目前已有多事的传媒将他们划归Poptronica。从字面上不难明白它乃是Pop与Electronica的复合体，但对进一步了解以创作核心Joe Goddard及Alexis Taylor为首这帮人的音乐格局似乎无济於事，毕竟流行混电音实在不是什麽新鲜玩意，若把Hot Chip当作Pet Shop Boys那可真是误会大了。若要更精准描述，得先明白他们心中的创作目标其实是放客。
两年前Hot Chip以宛如英国版LCD Soundsystem之姿发表首张专辑《Coming On Strong》，广获好评之余，果然立刻得到DFA幕後加持顺利转进主流厂牌。2006年推出第二张全新专辑《The Warning》，电子乐仍是他们外显的色彩，并且深谙流行与低传真之美，将之充分揉进融合发酵，首波暖身单曲〈Over And Over〉以电子合成乐器与电吉他引领着旋律简明易记的副歌，让Hot Chip之名正式於全英Top 40登场。早期曾有人形容他们宛若The Beta Band挑战Prince的比喻至今仍然适用，因为《The Warning》无处不清楚可见那企图跨越黑人跳跃放客(乃至是当代变形版的2 Step，如〈Tchaparian〉)与低调破碎之IDM的有趣实验(如标题同名曲或颇有Air气味的〈So Glad To See You〉等)。甚至听似民谣低吟的〈Look After Me〉根本就是一首未出柜的节奏蓝调。
如此黑白两跨，听来却毫不张狂，轻松地令他们赢得Time Out (London) ★★★★★、BBC Collective、Uncut 、Observer ★★★★ 等赞赏，同时荣登XLR8R封面人物。NME如此下注︰「might be the UK‘s best new electronic band coming of age」给予8分高评价，可说是稳赚不赔的投资

‘Terminal’ features prominent Egyptian rapper Abyusif, newcomers Abanoub, Mado $am and R-Rhyme, and the mysterious Mecca-based vocalist MSYLMA.
It sees him broaden out his work on previous UIQ EPs 2016’s ‘Bionic Ahmed’ and the 2017 follow up ‘Numbers’ and into something more localized and personal. The project features photography from his local zones in Cairo. Musically with ‘Terminal’ ZULI's focus moves away from the dancefloor and towards more melodic/ambient/listening/vocal territories.
“In a world that feels like it’s regressing into tribalism, many of us who don't fit into any one specific group identity feel sidelined at best. When people talk to me, whether it be the press or peers in the scene I operate in, I am often approached with a preconceived notion of pretty much everything from my influences and taste to my politics and lifestyle, solely based on my nationality. It is a caricature that has proven very marketable, one that makes for a more interesting read/conversation/booking, apparently, than a multi-faceted (hence unique) human personality just like each and every one of us. Ever since this came to my attention I have been making a point to be as vocal as possible about how unfair that is.
This is an album inspired by my own personal experience in the city I live in. I just happen to be an Egyptian musician and the city just happens to be Cairo; my experience in Cairo may very well have more in common with that of an Indian accountant in New Delhi than of another Egyptian musician in Cairo.
Terminal draws from an abstract narrative of increasingly frequent cycles of ego-death and rebirth; its effect on everything from self-image and worldview, to the creative process, its fruits and the various masks/identities assumed in the process. The rap verses that feature are all either autobiographical or come from a place that is unique to each individual rapper; some of whom happen to be Cairean, and some who are not; the point is that it doesn’t really matter that much in the end.” - ZULI

Faitiche is delighted to release a short version of the radio play Zwischen (German for ‘between’). Devised and produced by Jan Jelinek for German public broadcaster SWR2, Zwischen brings together twelve sound poetry collages using interview answers by public figures. Each collage consists of the brief moments between the spoken words: silences, pauses for breath and hesitations in which the interviewees utter non-semantic sound particles. These voice collages also control a synthesizer, creating electronic sounds that overlay and merge with the voices to make twelve acoustic structures.
We all know the speaker’s fate: you falter, you mispronounce, there are breaks, silences and false starts. This results in delays, a language noise compared by Roland Barthes to the knocks made by a malfunctioning motor. Such gaps can be disconcerting, standing as they do for a failure of the speaker’s rhetorical skills. But what happens when they become a constitutive, poetic factor?
Zwischen consists of twelve answers to twelve questions. The answers were all recorded in interview situations. From the speech of the interviewees – all eloquent public figures – the pauses are extracted and edited together. The result is a series of sound... more
credits
released May 4, 2018
Written and produced by Jan Jelinek at G. Guillaume Studio, Berlin 2017 Originally produced for Südwestrundfunk as Zwischen – 22 Lautgedichte
Mastering by Raschad Becker Graphic design by Tim Tetzner Many thanks to Frank Halbig.

“Nobody knows the troubles I’ve seen.” This hymn provides an apt summation of the road these band members have taken, from the suicide of their lead guitarist just prior to the release of their first record (when they were known as Hope of the States), to the struggles with Top 40 recognition and accusations of selling out, to the dissolution of the band in 2006. Some performers might have folded. These musicians decided instead to forge forward with a new identity, taking pride in their misfortune. Perhaps karma will bring them full circle: from a sad band with a hopeful name to a hopeful band with a sad name.
With two prior releases under their collective belt (2006’s eponymous debut and last year’s Sen’taur), Troubles has quickly established itself as an alternative to HOTS, rather than as a continuation. Gone are the indie guitar riffs and stadium-sized vocals; in are an increased variety of instruments and an expanded tonal range. While the early HOTS output was decidedly post-rock (check the finale of “Black Dollar Bills” for the most famous example), Troubles is more concerned with orchestral experimentation. Not that this music is inaccessible; quite the contrary. While there is nothing here as immediate as “Sing It Out,” neither is there anything the listener might have to strain to comprehend. As a fan of instrumental music, I’m happy they chose this path.
Few musicians are capable of making the switch from vocal-centered to instrument-centered music. The temptation is to follow the same template, resulting in instrumentals (instrumental versions of vocal songs) rather than instrumental music (that which is intentionally created without vocals). “My Yeshiva” is a prime example of the latter art. While the piece is distinctly guitar-driven, the lead guitar picks up other instruments like hitchhikers as it angles through the Mexican desert. The song shifts from building tension to propulsive action at the three-minute mark, building to a final orchestral flourish of bass drum, trumpet and violin that is stark, dramatic and intense.
Troubles’ desperado journeys are unlike those of Calexico in that their tone is darker – more Rodriguez than Morricone. Opener “Ayala: Para Las Brujillos” begins with dissonant cello and distant drum rolls before introducing a lone piano, which battles the cello with a rusty knife until guitars burst through the bar doors. Toward the end, drunken, wordless vocals emerge like hostile bikers, preparing us for the “Taps”-like introduction of “Furnace (Redux).” This selection builds to a calm climax in seemingly effortless fashion, shuttling us to the title cut. This “Wolf” lopes in constant vigilance for the first two and a half minutes before coming to a complete stop, as if spotting its prey. And then the hunt begins. I’m still not sure how I feel about the inclusion of an actual wolf howl, but it certainly helps to set the image. The only problem is that the track fails to culminate in any discernible fashion, and is followed by the piano-drenched “Feverland,” which possesses a jarringly different vibe.
While not everything on the album works well, the missteps are merely missteps, rather than travesties. “The Farwest Leader” is sound in concept, but the slow dynamism of its middle section is unpleasantly offset by the jaunty tempo of its beginning and end. “Glanton Falls” is a fine placeholder, but seems thin when extracted. “I Absence, Am Abraham” is little more than a series of near-ambient patterns. Fortunately, “St. Paul” and “Attica in Twos” provide an apt balance by offering starlit blankets of violin and bells reminiscent of Bell Orchestre. When played straight through, the album makes more sense, and these small flaws are less evident.
Wolf is not a happy creation, but one that is keenly aware of human nature: our baser instincts, our fears, our shames. It is, however, an album that offers understanding for our darker moods, like a compadre – in the end, more dog than wolf. Everybody yearns to be understood, and to be cherished. Sharing our troubles can lighten our load. So pack up your Troubles in an old kit bag, and smile, smile, smile.

1999 CDEP recorded for the 'In The Fishtank' series, features the joint forces of Tortoise & The Ex creating six tracks of undeniable strangeness and charm. Standard jewel case.

Scotland’s Mogwai are not only legendary experimental rock icons, but also well-established soundtrack titans – sound sculptors behind an impressive spectrum of cinematic releases (both full soundtracks and contributions): Including their last film soundtrack, Atomic (2016), there's been consistent acclaim through Michael Mann's Miami Vice (2006), The Fountain (2006, collaborating with Clint Mansell and Kronos Quartet), Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait (2007), Amnesty International's PEACE project (2010), international hit French TV series Les Revenants (2013), and Leonardo DiCaprio's climate change documentary Before The Flood (2016) alongside soundtrack Oscar-winners Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. The staggeringly prolific force that is Mogwai return less than a year after their standout new album, Every Country’s Sun, to provide the soundtrack to the anticipated, acclaimed new sci-fi major motion picture, KIN. Like their beloved soundtracks to Atomic and Les Revenants, KIN uses the band’s original score as the genesis and point of departure for an expanded, fully developed album of new songs. KIN is cinematic maximalism and synth-rock minimalism delivered with the signature introspective grace that has defined and refined Mogwai’s decades-long reputation.