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Introducing… Petter Carlsen!
Norway’s Petter Carlsen returns with his latest album Sirens released via Function Records on 24th November 2014. This new album reveals a slight change of course, containing more rhythmical and electronic elements but it’s the strength of Petter’s voice that captivates the listener.
Album track 'Tiger' was premiered on Gigwise and you can now download and stream it for free from the ABoF SoundCloud page or via the embed below.
Opening with track ‘You Could Be The One’, Petter channels a sound similar to his Scandinavian brethren Mew but there’s a beautiful melancholic edge to his voice, which elevates Petter’s sound beyond his peers. Even Steve Wilson of Porcupine Tree is a fan, calling it ‘a classic’. ‘Never Leave Me’ is enchanting and dreamlike not unlike Sigur Rós but as the album progresses Petter reveals more hidden depths on tracks like ‘Wings’, where he creates lush, cinematic soundscapes as each track on the album is centred around the theme of love.
From Alta, far up north in Norway, Petter Carlsen continues to make his beautifully personal and atmospheric music, reflecting the cold, dark and wild surroundings of the north. His debut album ‘You Go Bird’ was released in 2009, with his second - ‘Clocks Don’t Count’ - following in 2011.
His third offering, Sirens, was produced by Wetle Holte (Eivind Aarset, Anja Garbarek, Wibutee) and mixed by Christer A. Cederberg (Anathema, Maria Mena).
Beautifully atmospheric, his music has been identified by progressive British rock outfit Anathema as something very special. Indeed, singer / guitarist Daniel Cavanagh states that ”once I heard Petter Carlsen's incredible voice and beautiful songwriting, as well as his warm personality, I always felt that he would be connected to and part of the inner circle of Anathema for a long time to come. Quite apart from being a great friend, he is the most talented musician I have ever met in my life.” Quite an accolade for Mr. Carlsen.
Sirens will be released via Function Records on 24th November 2014.
Glyphs release free track ‘The Machine’!
“Curious, exotic nuggets…” - Clash Magazine
Glyphs have released 'The Machine', a free track taken from their fourth EP Out To Sea due for release on 20th October 2014.
You can stream and download 'The Machine' for free on the ABoF SoundCloud page or via the embed below.
'The Machine' is a stunning example of Glyphs' unique sound that encompasses tender, melodic pop vocals, hip-hop style beats and electro-synth all accompanied by comforting noises and samples that could have been lifted from a Spectrum 128k circa ’85. It could comfortably sit alongside many modern electronic artists like The Knife and Autechre as beats pop and samples soar, neatly bridged by a shoegaze style chorus.
You can also stream and download EP track 'Shed Skin' for free on the ABoF SoundCloud page.
Formed in 2010 Glyphs came together after Mark Walsh (vocals/songwriting) and Matt Wilkie (producer) became flatmates. Despite having known one another for a few years previously, Mark had embarked on a two year trip to Asia and Australia and it wasn’t until his return to Brixton that the pair reconnected. Originally hailing from Liverpool the duo set about writing and recording together as Matt had an array of music and beats already written and Mark was able to provide the lyrics and vocals.
Out To Sea is Glyphs’ fourth release following on from their Small Sounds EP and Glyphs EP both released in 2011 and the Locks & Keys EP, which was released in 2013. Combining a wide range of influences from Caribou and Bonobo to Four Tet and The Knife, Glyphs have created a sound that they can call their own.
Out To Sea is due for release on 20th October 2014 via Small Sounds.
Feldspar single ‘Cure For The Night’ out now!
"...for fans of epic and heartfelt indie."
- Gigwise
Feldspar release Cure For The Night, their second single as part of their Compass tour. Throughout Autumn the band have presented a single a month, which began with September’s Song Without A Chorus.
Although the four songs don’t tell an overarching story, together they demonstrate the band’s concern with songs that explore different sides of the human condition: heartache, lust, mortality, and anger. Second single Cure for the Night is about lust and the desire for human contact that overcomes us late at night or after too much to drink. It's irresistibly alluring, but also illicit and dangerous. However, you won’t feel guilty remembering this track the morning after.
The video for Cure For The Night premiered on Shout4Music and you can watch it now on the band's YouTube channel or via the embed below.
Their previous single premiered Gigwise while the accompanying video premiered on Artrocker. You can stream and download the single for free via the band's SoundCloud page and watch the video on their YouTube channel.
Feldspar also took the time to do a pre-tour performance of Song Without A Chorus for the Croft Sessions which you can view now on YouTube or via the embed below.
Although Feldspar grew up listening to acts like Nick Cave, and indeed there is a tinge of that dark folk feel throughout their songs, Feldspar have given their influences a modern twist creating an achingly beautiful indie sound that sits easily alongside lyrical indie bands such as The National and Villagers.
The Compass tour will see the band perform in the North, South, East and West as the band present their powerful live show to audiences around the UK. Their ambitious plan to release a single a month combined with their Compass tour is a glimpse into how far the band have come since their inception just over two years ago when Will Green, Ben Lloyd-Evans, Woody Feldwick, James Forster and Jonny Burgess first started performing together.
The band will play a single launch show headlining at the prestigious Hoxton Bar & Kitchen in London on 8th October, which will be the perfect chance to experience Feldspar’s impressive live performance which sets their melancholic songwriting against their engaging and lively stagecraft. Press passes are available by request.
Cure For The Night is released via Green Tape Records. You can buy it digitally via iTunes.
Introducing… Le Very!
Le Very release their debut EP Playground on 3rd November 2014 via Zukunftmusik.
Stream Playground from Le Very's SoundCloud page or via the embed below.
Le Very are pop. Electronic pop with corners and edges of their own. With brilliantly rigged breaking points. With a notorious tendency toward controversy.
With Playground, Le Very play with familiar stereotypes and pop-cultural references only to jump off at the last moment, turn a sharp corner, and take their sound in a totally unexpected direction.
Their first single, the dynamic EP title track, combines a stoic industrial beat with minimalistic stabs of guitar and an all-embracing polyphonic refrain. On the other end of the spectrum, the cynical peer-pressure hymn 'Marching On' morphs effortlessly from haunting jazz to a euphoric high-life choir, culminating in a striking saxophone solo. In the middle of it all, the orchestral theatrics of 'The Dive', featuring a remix kicked in by Brandt Brauer Frick,
draws from roots-rock technonism, showcasing just how multi-faceted Le Very's sound can be.
The minds behind Le Very form an ensemble of artists with a keen predilection for the interdisciplinary clash of expressive forms. Le Very branches out its sensitive feelers in all creative directions, forming a larger than life cosmos of music, lighting, dance, and costume. They paint pictures out of music. At times monochrome, at times naïve and playful. A glam-golden pop bubble pulsing with a thousand different colours, ever-expanding, and brought to explosion on stage.
Playground incites a style war, which is not about right or wrong, but about love and hate and everything in between, and about just how far the concept of pop music can be pushed in the year 2014.
Playground is released on 3rd November 2014 via Zukunftmusik.
Introducing… Dave McPherson!
InMe's Dave McPherson returns with his third album, Journal Of A Journey Buoy, released 3rd November 2014 via Pledge Music.
Stream and download free album track 'Nothing Is Enough' from the ABoF SoundCloud pagel or via the embed below.
Following on from his previous two albums, The Hardship Diaries and Dreamoirs, Journal of a Journey Buoy continues his exploration of life through the eyes of a touring singer songwriter. Drawing parallels with his live show, the music is stripped down and is simply presented as one man, his voice and his guitar. There’s a brutal honesty to the lyrical content that Dave explores, unhindered by overcomplicated production, with Dave’s powerful vocal range and talented guitar playing able to shine through beautifully.
Dave McPherson began his solo career in 2007 when, one day, he strapped his guitar on his back, hopped on a train and couch surfed around the UK playing shows to anyone who’d listen. 900 solo shows, and a number of EP’s later, Dave released The Hardship Diaries via Pledge Music to a swell of support. While Dave’s solo project is completely removed from the alternative metal produced by InMe, the band in which he made his name, he feels that the medium in which he currently inhabits is the most accessible and important way for music fans to gather a true representation of what an artist is all about.
This year has seen Dave take to the stage at Download Festival, Sonisphere, 2000 Trees and Y-Not Festival, and over the course of his career he’s been privileged to support the likes of Charlie Simpson, Devin Townsend, Andy Cairns and Big Country (to name but a few). It goes without saying that a musician so enamoured with the intimacy of live performance will have more than a few future dates before the year is up.
Journal Of A Journey Buoy is released 3rd November 2014 via Pledge Music.