On Friday, Crystal Castles unveiled a music video for “Affection” from their third record, appropriately titled (III).
Inside the two and a half minute track, we see backward fireworks, live looking shots, experimental VHS play, and a whole lot of Ethan and Alice. While it doesn’t hold the terror in which the “Plague” video viciously unleashed with it’s play on the footage from the 1981 Andrzej Zulawski film Possession, it’s a simplified piece that blissfully focuses on the duo behind the project.
Along with the video, two “Sad Eyes” remixes have been uploaded and made available for free download over at the official Crystal Castles Soundcloud page. Invisibles and Huoratron take their stab on the acclaimed song off the record. Click here to stream & download.
2020k will be attending the Crystal Castles concert at Mr. Smalls in Pittsburgh, PA on 5/9. Can you say ecstatic?! Check back here for a review of the show. For now, the review of (III) went live right after the record’s release. You can read it here.
Janelle Monae and Erykah Badu are no strangers to each other. They’ve consistently toured with each other since Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase) and endearingly call each other “Twin” over their Twitteraccounts. Now, the two have teamed up for “Q.U.E.E.N.”, the first single off Monae’s slated 2013 The Electric Lady.
On “Q.U.E.E.N.”, brilliant shades of brass instrumentation fill the stereo image of the track, and even the jazzed out “Ba-bom-ba-bomp!” create a vibe so influenced by the groove of the track that the mood of movement in both the physical and sociological sense is forced to be recognized.
Like a lot of Janelle’s music, the lyrical content covers overcoming repression, celebrating your inner outcast. Mostly, and this is no exception, it’s done in reference toward a cyborg world. In pure funked out style, she questions “Is it peculiar that she twerk in the mirror?” Continuing, “And am I weird to dance alone late at night? And is it true we’re all insane?” before finally closing the first part of the second verse out with “and I just tell ‘em, ‘No we ain’t’ and get down.” Throughout the verses lies a great sense of vocal doubling, harmonies, and various delays. All together, the vocal production on Jane’s vocals are just as lively as the instrumentation itself.
Erykah’s presence rests through the background vocals of the track, riding along adlibs and callouts that are mixed lower in the stereo mix. Interestingly enough, the vocals aren’t too focused on with production techniques. Toward the middle of the track, we can’t help but think of the song “Booty” on Badu’s Mama’s Gun. She begins her verse, still mixed in a more modest tone, bringing a chilled out feel toward the breakdown section she’s wildly a part of, ending her verse telling us that “Come home and sing your song. But you got to testify because the booty don’t lie.”
“My crown too heavy like the Queen Nefertiti. Gimme back my pyramid, I’m trying to free Kansas City,” she raps in spoken word format. You’re out, dear. If this is what we have to look forward to on the always eclectic Janelle Monae’s next effort, we’re absolutely bracing ourself to trust our booty, serving face, and refusing to dream of electric sheep.
Purchase “Q.U.E.E.N.” on iTunes. Released April 23rd, 2013
It seems as though Warp Records took to National Record Store day today to let us know that Boards of Canada’s follow up to their 2005 release The Campfire Headphase is well on its way!
Hidden throughout several record stores today was a 12 inch vinyl for sale. We’re not sure how many of these have been pressed, or what’s on them. However, information will be edited into this post, equipped with edit tags on them, as we sift through the details that are being provided.
Currently, we know that @Imnopandabear from New York City, known as Lilcakey on Reddit found and purchased one of these promotional vinyl from Other Music. His account of the product lets us know that the packaging dates this as a Warp 2013 release and contains 20 seconds of audio on one side of the vinyl that says a six digit number one time, then cuts out.
This purchaser goes on to describe more information that he gathered from the store itself. “Clearly I have one of six similar Boards of Canada records released today and distributed “randomly” around the world (Other Music said they received the record with no word / acknowledgement of its existence, it was just there in a shipment they received). I think that if all of the numbers are gathered and arranged in a proper order, we might be able to figure something out, so we just need the other 5 people who found the record (or maybe they haven’t been found yet) to reveal their numbers and where they fit in the sequence, and then of course, have to decipher what the numbers together mean.”
Regardless, the devil is in the details right now, guys. So if you happen to have acquired one of these vinyl records, please leave a comment below with what’s on them so we can compile all the information we can! Everything is pure speculation at this point, but this does seem very legitimate and we are piecing together the puzzle…on the date of the fifteenth anniversary of Music Has a Right to Children, no less!
Keep the 2020k Twitter page on check, too. We’re following information closely and retweeting as necessary. All information will ultimately be reported on this blog.
EDIT #1: Youtube video of the vinyl playing is up. Watch it here. 936,557 is the number on this copy. The music is beautiful. Thank you, Lilcakey for posting in our comments. Please keep us posted!
EDIT #3: This one is to be taken with a grain of salt. A YouTube video on Boards Of Canada’s official playlist show “Julie and Candy,” from Geogaddi, with a strange video description. Click here to see the full playlist. The video is number eight. While this playlist compiles fan made videos, for the most part, the video description is interestingly ”——/——/——/——/——/—–-”.
EDIT #4: The video description to edit #3 seems to have changed again. It now reads “1977 snow computing amateur footage beards synthesizer”. But, YouTube user wentingtonful left it as a comment on the video. Presumably just to note that it was there at one point in time. Please keep in mind that the “Julie and Candy” video was uploaded by user Ataalantafugiens, who only has this video on their channel. The version of this song seems to be a soundboard recording from one of Boards of Canada’s only live performances. We’re still unsure, since its upload, how this user got a hold of it.
For notes: The year in the description has also altered several times in the last few minutes. 1976, 1977, 1978. Seem to be staying on ’77 now. However, the dashes are back. Go to 4:20 on the video and pause. No, wait. The placement has changed. Go to 4:19 and pause. (A rumored, possible countdown?)
It is also noteworthy that the description of the video used to read “1977 snow computing amateur footage beards synthesizer salopette endtimes uaevuon yera”
EDIT #5: Album out in June according to Tweet from Iain Stewart, who is a friend of a friend of the band. Tweet dated 4/11/13.
EDIT #6: Warp Records has just followed Other Music on Twitter.
EDIT #7: The record is number stations influenced (The Conet Project is a good place to start for beginners at this). So, there are a few number theories floating around. They’re only theories, but the number 6 keeps popping up quite a bit, and with the Tweet from Iain Stewart mentioning a possible June release, I will keep all number theories inside this edit.
Theory 1: The Julie and Candy video. Presumably, the position of the dashes and slash marks started at 4:20 on 4/20. Today, they were moved down to 4:19. Tomorrow, if they move to 4:18, this could possibly be a countdown of some sorts to something. This positioning has not moved. Theory debunked.
Theory 2: The full video description on the “Julie and Candy” video and the six set of numbers correlate:
Theory 3: Each of the vinyl records will contain a different set of numbers. So far, we have the fourth set since this looks like the fourth copy of the vinyl made, judging by the X’s. So far only one vinyl has been found. A second set of numbers came from a YouTube video. See Edit #12
EDIT #8: krs from the Twoism.org message board spoke to Other Music who confirmed that there is only one Boards of Canada Record Store Day vinyl released in the United States. A Warp Rep brought in the vinyl to the store. This has been obtained. The rest of them? Apparently they’re in other countries. Get searching. Update in the comments section if you obtain one. You can listen to the phone conversation here. Voice in the phone recording isn’t board member krs.
“Just got off the phone with the guy from Other Music again, and he said they DID INFACT have it at the store!!!!!! He said a warp representative brought it in at 3pm the day before record store day. He also said that the one found in their store is THE ONLY ONE IN THE U.S.!!!!! THE OTHERS ARE IN FACT IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES!!!! He didn’t specify, but they way he said it, I imagine this is what the representative from warp told him.”
EDIT #9:Pitchfork (twice!) & The Consequence of Sound have linked 2020k as a main source in their articles for this Boards of Canada mystery. I am a huge follower of both publications. Thank you for spreading the word, guys. A thank you to bocpages.org as well. Updates to this article will continue as information rolls in. Pitchfork has apparently confirmed that this is a legitimate Warp release. The Guardian has picked up this article. Shout out to Jakub over at Tycho’s blog. Thank you. Thanks to FACTmag too (check your Tweets). SPIN has also reported.
4/22/2013
EDIT #10: The “Julie and Candy” video has not been altered today, debunking the rumor that the annotations were a countdown to something. The source of the video and affiliation with Boards of Canada to the user is still noteworthy, as the video is reportedly a backdrop used for their ATP performance, and the version of the song is presumably the soundboard recording of the live performance (or a live, studio version of the track).
EDIT #11: Also relevant, Other Music tweets out that they did receive a copy of this vinyl, finally confirming that this is an official Record Store Day release by Warp and Boards of Canada
EDIT #12: The official Hell Interface Youtube channel (which is the name Boards went under before they were Boards of Canada) posted this three second video, which links to this video that plays a new jingle. The video is called “csch” by tarekeys. More numbers. This time, the numbers are: 717228
Edit #13: Hellinterface YouTube account just posted a comment under an “Everything You Do Is A Balloon” YouTube video. Points to the same hellinterface YouTube account video as the numbers in edit #12. Also, Youtube Video name is CSCH. Well look what happens when you add a .ca after it. The link is speculation at this point and seems more coincidental at this point, than anything. The 3 second video shows images when you hover over the timeline and drag. click for pic!
Edit #14: The new placement for the 717228 number seems to be the following: ——/——/717228/936557/——/—— The reasoning behind this being that the text “—— / —— / XXXXXX / —— / —— / ——” appears on the csch video at approximately 0:40 for exactly two frames.
An enhanced picture from the 3 second YouTube video can be seen below. Thank you to the Boards of Canada (unofficial) IRC for figuring this edit out. Also, it seems as though the stills are fromThe Little House On The Prairie, Episode 6968, “Times of Change”, aired Sept 19 1977. [Source needed for airing date].
EDIT #15: The order of the videos on the Boards Of Canada YouTube playlist has been changed. The Felix Baumgartner “Dayvan Cowboy” video used to be the starting video. Now, three others are on top of it. The “Julie and Candy” video which contained the first hint, the “Everything You Do is a Balloon” video which contained the second hint, and below those two videos is a video for “Trails”. Speculation is that “Trails” will contain the next hint.
4/23/2013
EDIT #16: Rough Trade reports a second vinyl has been sold from their store. Poststhreepictures. We don’t know the numbers. I playfully yelled at them on Twitter. The xxxxxx’s are in the same spot as the first vinyl sold.
Rough Trade has tweeted the number: 936557 and the audio from their copy. The same number as the vinyl found in New York.
Edit #17: Looks like BBC Radio 1 is in on it too! Here’s a screencap taken at 3:20PM EST by us. It was played on the Zane Lowe show. Did anyone tune in? Playlist reads: Unknown —— / ——- / —— / —— / —— / XXXXXX
The clip is now DOWNLOADABLE on BBC’s website. Click here for the MP3. New numbers: 519225
So, now we have ——/——/717228/936557/699742/519225
EDIT #18: NPR have posted a string of numbers on All Things Considered. These numbers are 699742.
——/——/717228/936557/——/519225
Theory: All of the numbers, except the NPR number have a double digit in the last three numbers. 717228, 936557, 519225 However, if you reverse the NPR number completely backwards so that it reads 247996 instead of 699742, it follows suit with the double digit theory.
Then, after the NPR number is reversed, take a look at the last number following the double digit. 717228, 936557, 519225, and if we reverse the NPR number we get 247996. With this theory, the string of numbers would be ——/——/717228/936557/699742 (or, reversed 247996)/519225. So, the first set of numbers should theoretically end in a double digit, followed by a 0 (or possibly xxx110). The second set of numbers should theoretically end in a double digit, followed by a 9.
No word on what this all means or if this theory is legitimate in the long run. Extraordinary thanks to @cydoniac for this! If anything, it’s good thinking. After finding the Soundcloud numbers, unfortunately this theory seems void.
EDIT #19: Background on Boards of Canada’s Youtube page has changed to a snowy/sky blue background and the annotations have changed on the “Julie & Candy” video. At 4:19 and 4:20, where the annotations are, there are now boxes. You cannot click them, but they are small, new editions.
4/26/201
EDIT #20: Looks like Twoism.org is in on the fun! On Youtube, the infamous playlist on Boards of Canada’s profile updated so that a video for “Twoism” was in the number one spot. The website’s banner altered, leaving six hints:
“GIF89a
csch,hexagon sun,boc,hell interface,boards of canada,music70,boctransmission,hexagonsun,fyt,twoism http://snd.sc/11W7vpv http://snd.sc/11W726Q there is another…
GIF89ai”
which lead to a Soundcloud page which held two audiofiles (Audiofile #1 called “∑” & Audiofile #2 entitled the same thing).
The album art shows a diagram of a signal mixer which sums two inputs. By summing the two Soundcloud files we’ve received the new number: 628315.
EDIT #20.5: It look as though when viewing the ID tags of the .WAV files on these uploads, we find some great information. Audio#1 is entitled “AAAA.wav” and the second being “BBBB.wav”. However, what’s even better is that in the description it mentions these files being clues for “Cosecha,” which is spanish for the word harvest and is being speculated as the album’s title. This would make sense, seeing as though the Youtube “csch” links to a video called “neuvas,” which is spanish for new seeds.
The website’s banner on Twoism.org also linked to .gif files that, when manipulated, will display where the new number from the Soundcloud files will go. Click for the picture.
699742/628315/717228/936557/——/519225
EDIT #21: Rough Trade, the record store in which one of the vinyl releases was found has been posting some cryptic Twitter status updates, including a “Boards of Canada loop” playing outside a building across the street at the Loading Bay Art Gallery. A video has been posted, along with a time stamp of “20:35?”, but no more information has been released as of yet beyond the loop. Video has also been posted, but while it showed a sunny desert, only X’s have been broadcasted so far, no number. There is audio that is being broadcasted as well, changing once, but nothing new.
EDIT #22: Adult Swim aired an advertisement in the United States. No new number, but confirms the 699742, which is the number NPR also gave on their broadcast a few days ago.
EDIT #24: Your password, thanks to Noby at Twoism.org (how he obtained this is to be determined):. 699742628315717228936557813386519225. Upon entering the password, you see a video that confirms a June 10th, 2013 release date for a new Boards of Canada album titled “Tomorrow’s Harvest”, which you can pre-order on Bleep.com (CD or Vinyl) by clicking here.
EDIT #25: The missing numbers seem to have been coded into the header of the source code on Boardsofcanada.com. The missing numbers? 7813386.
ATTENTION: This review is part of the extravagant 2020k giveaway. Click here to see all of the goodies we’re giving away. Win a copy of Ego by Benign & Roy Hessels, as well as other goodies by tweeting “#2020kgiveaway Infrasound: Benign & Roy Hessels – Ego @Twenty20k http://tinyurl.com/benignroyego” or retweeting any corresponding tweets from the Twenty20k account with this hashtag! You can also like and share this article on Facebook for respective entries into the contest.
By society’s standard, the word ego has seemingly become fully equated with narcissism. Though webster will exclaim that in a certain form, that is correct, there are other aspects of the word that demonstrate a state of being that’s equated with self esteem, and rooted self-respect and assurance. The latter definitions better describe the debut project from Benign & Roy Hessels, two separate musicians who came together to release Ego on the 2ism Records imprint, which specializes in bringing together two artists to work together to achieve one collaborative project.
Bringing together Brussels, Belgium based, atmospheric inspired Benign with Utrecht, Netherlands electronic musician Roy Hessels is a sonic marriage that works together in the most joyfully threatening way possible. Where Hessels fills sometimes strives for a more organic, guitar laced downtempo vibe, Benign compliments with controlled rhythms and exuberant glitch-esque breaks.
The chemistry on Ego is instantly felt on the first track in which the two join forces. In fact, the collaboration is so seamless that there’s almost really no focus on debate over which artist played which part in which song. Sure, there are a few solo tracks along the project, but when the two come together on “Interlude,” it’s lethargic guitar licks and synthesizer drops and sputters play out like Pink Floyd trapped in a world of psychedelic neo-soul that’s trying to find light through electronic darkness. Experimentally, the more optimistic sections of this interlude begin showing their opposition toward the middle of the song when they begin to be played backwards. At the end, rising and lowering pads further demonstrate this optimistic vs. pessimistic play and flow right on into the Hip-Hop inspired, minimalist “Dyssomnia”.
Broad classifications of sleeping disorders, known as dyssomnia, fit into Ego‘s realm quite perfectly as Hessels and Benign seem to be striving through this album to find a place of peace within battles of today. What better way to describe this and explore it through the conscious and unconscious parts of one’s full day? The groove on “Dyssomnia” is one of toned strength, which allows guitar and piano portions of the track to show that while they’d like to drift off, they have to stay with the groove, quite like the mind racing, but wanting to fall asleep during the night. Quite clever, right? A sort of lecture plays toward the track’s middle half and while a lot of these words blend into the mix of the song, they play out through some gorgeous chord changes that appear in the last minute and a half of the song, one sentence sticks out the most in the mix, “When was the last time you enjoyed silence? Genuine silence. And you wonder why people can’t sleep?!”
Backtracking, the first two tracks are strictly Roy Hessels. The technology based sounding introduction pitches down and time stretches vocals that pulse along the lower frequencies of the mix, end, and bring in the extremely Burialinspired ”My Refuge”. In opposition of the introduction, vocal samples are pitched up, manipulated and stuttered while a deep-alternative dubstep sounding production unfolds in traditional electronic composition. Reverberation and delay techniques play a large part in the cornerstone of this song, as well as the album as a whole. During the middle of the song, there is a main synthesizer solo that fadedly delays out, faking a premature end to the song, but quickly slaps the listener back in the face and comes back for more. While this Hessels track is the song most derivative of the underground-alternative electronic scene, it’s quality at it’s best and comes across more as a contemporary refuge than an imitation prison.
“Longing/Lost” follows as a Benign solo track and begins at a slow atmospheric crawl, phasing out the Burial-isms, but keeping vocal samples interpolated. The song slowly works into a wildly paranoid sense of rhythm, while repetitive pads and background synths lend themselves to a conglomerate sense of stereo imaging that’s quite impressive. The pieces fit together, along with a primarily mid-range focused/punchy-compressed kick drum, and create one of the densest, most layered movements on this debut.
Continuing with the dual names, which seems like a play on two separate things coming together, “Void/Fall” is another Benign song, toward the end of Ego that finds itself building up from a slow progression, into a tense state of production. Right before the song’s final movement, there is a portion of the song that plays in a high octave, then drops before a pad is cleverly invented and manipulated through the human voice. It does get a bit busy in the higher frequencies of this song, and in “Hiroshima,” but interestingly supplies an interestingly emotional technique. There’s a difference between distortion and frequency fighting because of lack of attention to detail, and when it’s used for creative intent. This is definitely creativity being used.
While we’re covering “Hiroshima,” it’s filled with drum and bass trepidation, and distorted, in your face horror. The most schizophrenic, unfocused song on Ego finds itself moving through deep-dubstep bass-lines, while manipulating the lead synth to purposefully march into notes that are one hundred percent out of key. Would you expect something else from a song with a title of Japan’s city that’s most noted for the terrifying events during World War II? Coincidence? We don’t think so. “Power To The Beast” seems to explore the more humanistic themes of war and the internal affiliation with religion. A man quite muscly makes statements about nations with no values, and having no faith in God or Jesus Christ.
“Conviction” is the most ambient, minimal track onEgo and not surprisingly is the most emotional. There aren’t too many layers on the song, but the ones that are there definitely find themselves having a lot of programming and reverberation and delay techniques applied to them in order to make the depth of the mix sound euphoric and larger than life. It’s a Roy Hessels solo track and gently unfolds through stereo panned melodic aspects and a low, sixteenth note synth bass. Toward the end, it’s standard build up could be compared to a more layered Moby project from the Destroyed era, mixed with Mux Mool’s beautiful deep grooves.
One thing that sticks out on the Benign & Roy Hessels project is how wonderfully mastered the project is. Christopher Leary, who has mastered Twoism Records’ “One on Twoism” compilation albums, has a knack for creating the most cohesive space for the final mixes of songs to live in. He’s the icing on the cake to a wonderful auditory feature and while not much is known about him other than a quick Google, he’s a rising star to the mastering profession and is to be commended for his attention to fine detail and being able to enhance the overall product of the projects he’s taken on in his career thus far.
By the end of Ego, there’s one final seven minute journey that aggressively explores the subtitles of downtempo electronic music. “Shadows” ties together, in cinematic fashion, the creepy and disturbing underlying feel of the record.
The Outro seems to be meant to snap the listener back into reality. That is, the facade of which is put on to disguise societies problems. It’s crowd-sourced recording plays prominently along with a warbling rhodes sounding. “If you think about it..” is the only phrase that can really be made out through the entire outro, and if you think about, Roy Hessels & Benign carve out one hell of a commentary on a lot of different subjects that span from political, to social, and beyond.
The Outro shows the ego of Earth in a sense, the dignified sense that throughout the religious, political, and social discord that’s happening around us, we’re always able to see the good, or the self-esteem that each of us puts on to face the day.
Perhaps Ego does show all senses of the definition after all.
Download Ego by Benign & Roy Hessels via Bandcamp on April 12th, 2012. The link will update accordingly, but for now check out 2ism Recordings website for more information and check out 2020k EP for my take on Roy Hessel’s song “Slightest Touch”.
2020k has been hinting at and gearing up for a massive contest in affiliation with OTMblog.com for months and now it’s finally here! Following the Canadian Music Week giveaways in March, we’re celebrating our favorite artists and independent coverage with a second giveaway for readers and fans alike.
As a matter of fact, there are two great packages to give away!
THE GRAND PRIZE PACKAGE INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING:
+A VINYL copy of Kin by Iamamiwhoami [Review]
+Rarities Collection Cassette by Lo-Fi by Default (Only 3 copies ever manufactured!)
+Now That’s What I Call Seapunk misprinted cassette artwork by Lo-Fi by Default
+Hand drawn Lo-Fi by Default artwork, drawn on blank cassette label
+KU PALM CD by Photek
+Shakkei Remixed CD by Origamibiro [Review]
+Freezing Thoughts Creates Stability CD by Wet Eyes [Infrasound]
+Air is Movement CD by Wet Eyes
+A limited edition art hand drawn art print by Wet Eyes
+Limited Edition first edition physical CD copy 2020k EP by 2020k [Info]
RUNNER UP PRIZE INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING:
+KU PALM CD by Photek
+Ego by Benign & Roy Hessels [info]
+Air is Movement CD by Wet Eyes
+Freezing Thoughts Creates Stability CD by Wet Eyes
+Shakkei Remixed by Origamibiro
+Hectic Zeniths by Hectic Zeniths [info]
+2020k EP CD by 2020k
Rascals? I heard you scream. Photek fans? You’d sleep walk to win a copy of this CD, wouldn’t you? Independent music supporters, Vaporwave enthusiasts, and 2020k fans? As much as I’d want to hoard this all for myself, I’m giving it all away to two lucky winners! Hold on to your laptops and smart phones, CAUSE HERE’S HOW TO ENTER:
First way to win: You must follow 2020k on Facebook. This automatically enters you! After you’ve followed, any time an article is affiliated with the phrase “2020k Giveaway article!” like or share the article (this one included). For every like or share you’ll receive one additional entry.
Second way to win: Follow @Twenty20k on Twitter. Throughout the contest, there will be articles on Twitter with the hashtag #2020kgiveaway. After you’ve followed the Twenty20k account, any time you retweet an article with this respective hashtag, you’re entered to win. You can easily increase your chances of winning this way by retweeting multiple articles! (If you’re not following, your retweet will not be counted). You can start by RETWEETING THISVERY ARTICLE WITH THE HASHTAG!
Third way to win: Send an email to cras.rkozain@gmail.com with the subject line “2020k Giveaway Entry!” and let us know your name and favorite artist involved with this giveaway. A few more lines wouldn’t hurt either. One entry per email allowed.
You’re able to enter in all three ways and encouraged to do so. Following the Twitter account also makes you eligible for some bonus prizes, including goodies from Garbage and Pearl Jam that will be given away specifically through Twitter during the contest’s duration! Oh, and Esthero, Res, and Doc McKinney fans? Haven’t forgot about you, there’s more goodies where this came from! Stay tuned and start entering!
Deadline for entries: May 5th, 2013
EDIT #1: The track listing for the Lo-Fi by Default rarities cassette has just been released. Remember, only three of these cassettes exist!
Side A
Barlow – In the Air
Armitage Hunks – Drinking with Ametuers
Chinese Radiation – Station
Armitage Hunks – Triple crown of suck
Crystal Surge – VHS is Killing Me
Kamas – Body Integration Loop
Side B
Starnoise – Intro
Kinesthetiac – Count Miny Candy
Jargun – Sick Of
Usmo- Sea Fog
Spoonty – Is There Anyone About
In a perfect world, 2020k infrasound collective artists would come together to create wonderfully stunning projects together. You’ve seen this happen already with myself releasing the “Contagion” single under the WetEyes imprint, but it seems as though Kamas (known better under the moniker Nyetscape) and Kinesthetiac, two previously reported on musicians and a third member called Powernap[bandcamp] have put together a side project under the name Simulate Televangelistand the results are just what had been expected: more than could be expected.
On the self-titled debut, the trio set out to create one of the most ambitiously sounding Electronic records to be released in 2013 so far. The rhythmic structures on the first proper opening song, “Cobalt Surge” intricately combines high impact power of a wide use of stereo imaging, with slow-flowing pads that double as synthesized leads. The use of the left and right stereo positioning is admirable while the muted drum and bass influence assaults from both sides, in slight variations, but ultimately reach an end goal that creates a unified monster from the sum of all of it’s parts. The build up of this track is natural, the breakdowns are easily worked into one another, and the final piano sounds that end the track demonstrate the final, delicate surge of power before the track’s end.
“Helicons” beings distinctly Boards of Canada-esque, with background static sound effects taking over the stereo imaging while warbling, humanized synthesizers lament in and out of tune with one another. It’s an emotional beginning that unfortunately doesn’t see too much of an expansion, as it’s powered down before the minute mark hits. However, the impact of the main segment of the song allows inkings of it to be placed underneath the mix, while later, coming back into focus as solider like drum machine sounds religiously beat. These rhythmic sections beat full of tension for the most part, but at times, a synth-bass line works its way into the song, creating a hopeful and almost pop sonic spectrum for a moment.
“Miami III” plays as a nice extended opener for the track after it, the largely reverberated sounding “Phonovision”. Several instrumental bits are established in the middle of the track which bring all of the layers together inside of this vision, but it’s the two minute and a half songs afterward “DPDTV” and “Sycophant” that come together beautifully to play brother and sister to one another. When “DPDTV” travels like the inside head of a television, then drops off, “Sycophant” is there to catch up with eerily focused melodic lines that delay and beautifully reverberate as they’re worked into the final mix of the track. The two songs are simplified in layers, but beautiful, even working in an underlying muffled sample that is distinctly reminiscent of ”U-1″ by Iamamiwhoami.
“The Trees, They’re Malfunctioning” brings together a more experimental and atmospheric vibe to the song, at times creating noise so dense that it’s hard not to envision a machine actually causing nature itself to tear down. The drums cause a heightened, militant sense of drive as they march and distort in the background amongst the noise. This metamorphosis exists and continues to build, most notably the last minute of the track in which samples, swells, reverberation, and synths build together, rising and rising to a summit until it ultimately drops off without warning. It’s Simulate Televangelist’s most sharpening moment, becoming an industrial warfare and causing a sonic hell that’s ironically bearable to live inside.
The final track in the short feature of this collective gathering is “λmphetamine”. It’s euphoria and interweaving of countless tracks and home video snippets are almost heartbreakingly emotional against a repetitive rhythmic section. In fact, “λmphetamine” holds a sort of undemanding control that warmly wraps itself around the rest of the record, causing its sense of direction to be fully realized. Starting out experimental, the song eventually finds its drive and direction with a kick drum heavy beat. By the time it drops off, the ambience is fully recognized and layers of instrumentation and field recordings that weren’t as present come into full focus. It’s an educated song, just as Simulate Televangelist holds itself as a sophisticated concept throughout it’s entire play.
It’s a no-brainer that these three would create something stunning. Kinesthetiac has been featured on our Top Songs of 20xx list twice in a row, while Kamas earned the number three spot list year. Powernap’s wonderful mixing skill and knack for ambience shows itself well, and by the album’s end it’s nice to hear three independent musicians coming together to make a record very cohesive, as opposed to fighting to be heard over one another.
Bravo, Simulate Televangelist.
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Yonatan Ayal, known under the name xSDTRK has had music in his blood for a long time. Starting piano playing at age three, Ayal grew up to study at the Toronto Royal Conservatory and since has become a multi-instrumentalist. What this 23 year old musician has come to do is expand on the Canadian music scene, and release two tracks that are hauntingly perfect and perfectly haunting.
Six months ago, “powDer” was released on a newly opened Soundcloud page. Sounding largely atmospheric, xSDTRK utilizes a female vocalist against unsettling chords, warbling pads, and a beautifully distorted scream. The deep, powerful bass of the track follows along with the piano and essentially creates a low frequency sense of euphoria that glues the piece together. There’s a great part toward the middle of the song where the stereo mix opens quite a bit and allows for vocal loops and manipulations to provide themselves to the left and right speakers, creating a delayed effect.
“You feel your feet get heavy, starts inside, you’d do anything just to feel alive again” repeats the vocalist, while Yonatan aides in the background harmonies and aiding vocal calls. The best part of “powDer” is it’s distorted screams, which are looped and rip through the entirety of the mix with terrifying presence, but without disrupting the song’s mood. In fact, these calls so frighteningly help it out that it’s impossible to imagine the track without them. By the end stutter of the closing track, it’s clear that this xSDTRK project is something to watch.
Three months later, a second track, ”sVcrethe.” immerses. This time, the tense sonic atmosphere that the aforementioned track was built on has been expanded, and is more densely imagined through the birth of “sVcrethe.” The mix of this track is a bit brighter than “powDer,” but it’s downtempo beat paints vivid, somber imagery as expansive vocal stutters and buffer sounds, smartly distorted, roar and give glitz to the imaging of the track. Toward the song’s middle, a filtering of the beat vastly fades, as if taking over the entire frequency from beginning, until it’s un-calmly end, then exploding into a frenzy of hi-hat percussion in which speeds along the song’s lethargic start.
If The Weeknd were to experiment with his songs a bit more, instead of going for the dark, faded vibe that Drake and himself have come to create, he’d sound a bit more like xSDTRK. There’s an obvious dark place that both respective artists come from in their work, but Yonatan (or Yoni) digs deeper. It’s more painful, more unnerving, but more artistic and sophisticatedly simple while staying largely and emotionally impactful.
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