Latest News
Andrew Wasylyk releases new video for Last of the Loved
"...a vivid picture of just how versatile a performer he is" - The List
Andrew Wasylyk has released a new video to Last of the Loved the first track to be taken from his new album Soroky, out November 6th on Empty Words.
The video premiered on The Skinny where you can watch it now by clicking on the embed below.
The alias of Scottish writer, producer and multi-instrumentalist, Andrew Mitchell, Andrew Wasylyk brings together cinematic nostalgia, elements of Baroque pop and the influence of classic 1970s songwriters in a diverse collection of ten songs which comprise debut album.
The record is the ninth to date on which Mitchell has featured; he joined alternative rock band Idlewild in 2014, and has released six albums with ongoing indie pop group The Hazey Janes along with the acclaimed debut of psych duo Art of the Memory Palace. Previous tours supporting Wilco, and as a session player with Electric Soft Parade and School of Language further add to the rich mix of influences which shape his first proper solo work.
You can also stream 'Last Of The Loved' via Andrew's SoundCloud page or by clicking on the embed below.
Recorded on the Isle of Mull in just five days, orchestral layers weave in and out of traditional guitar, piano and drum arrangements, creating a sense of haunting unease which is punctuated by Mitchell's powerful yet fragile vocals: reminiscent at times of early Scott Walker, Randy Newman or the late Billy Mackenzie.
Released November 6th 2015 through Empty Words, Soroky will be available on limited edition vinyl and digital formats. The first live dates will be ten intimate solo performances at theatres across the UK, supporting Ricky Ross of Deacon Blue. Further shows with a full band are planned for early 2016.
9th Nov - Lemon Tree - Aberdeen
11th Nov - Gardyne Theatre - Dundee
12th Nov - Cottier Theatre - Glasgow
15th Nov - Floral Pavilion - New Brighton
16th Nov - RNCM - Manchester
17th Nov - St. George’s - Bristol
18th Nov - King’s Place - London
22nd Nov - Town Hall - Birmingham
23rd Nov - The Sage - Newcastle
19th Jan - The Hug & Pint, Glasgow (part of Celtic Connections 2016)
Soroky is released via Empty Words on 6th November 2015.
Strange & Primitive release free track Highwayman!
“…a journey through exotic, electro-tinged and undeniably catchy soundscapes.” - Exclaim!
"“…traces the border between the cerebral and the imaginative...” - Gigwise
Canadian duo Strange & Primitive have released Highwayman as a free download.
The track is taken from their self-titled debut album due for released on November 20th via The Deep Floor Inc. Having already premiered on Gigwise it's available to download now via the band's Soundcloud page.
The band's self-titled debut album is a cerebral journey through sound and space. Synth-infused melodies, dissonant beats, off-kilter riffs and emotive vocals fuse together, creating unique and intricate circuitry. Strange & Primitive is an album that feels like a newborn sentient being, its neurons pulsing with dark energy brought to life by the band’s curiosity to explore their musical boundaries.
Originally writing instrumental songs together, Jeff Musgrave and Graham Fish decided that vocals would give the band a more ‘human’ element to the music. The album is full of metaphors, riddles, dark fantasies and the pair’s deepest inner workings as they question people, life, motives, communication and power.
You can watch the video for singles Difficulties Be Damned and Eureka on the band's YouTube channel.
There’s a distinct 80s flavour to the album, albeit the darker side of the era. Difficulties Be Damned is tense - tribal beats and robotic synths entwine, crescendoing with electronic eloquence. The track is trance-like, with Musgrave channelling Mark Hollis-esque vocals, in homage to influences like Talk Talk. ‘Eureka’ is lighter in comparison but still in keeping with the bands brooding sound. ‘The Hunt Is Over’ harks back to the aforementioned Talk Talk’s moodier moments whilst track ‘Highwayman’ takes us for a drive in the dead of night, synth-laden beats and guitars fuelling the journey as the band steer us towards an end point that seems to mysteriously dim as we get ever closer. ‘Keep Your Eyes On Daylight’ is the one instrumental track on the album, which gives us an insight into the less ‘human’ element of the band, before they decided to add vocals to the proceedings. The 7-minute track breaks the continuity at the exact half-way point of the album as we reach our second act. Its filmic, futuristic quality sounds like a Tron: Legacy soundtrack that could have been.
Jeff and Graham grew up on different sides of Canada. Jeff was born in Osaka, Japan but brought up in Vancouver, with Graham born and raised in Guelph, Ontario. Jeff moved to Guelph to attend University in 2005, where he met Graham after responding to an advert looking for a singer / guitarist. They enjoyed jamming together, infusing their styles, honing their craft and released an instrumental album Melody In The Half-Light in 2012 under the name Audiograft. Self-titled album Strange & Primitive is their latest creation - a rebirth of enmeshed styles, influences and experiences.
In the studio, the pair take on whatever role is required of them with the exception that Jeff sings on every track. As Strange & Primitive they are one heart, one soul, one melodic organism brought to life by music.
Strange & Primitive’s self-titled debut album is released in the UK via The Deep Floor Inc. on 20th November 2015.
Black International album ‘A Lesson In Repression’ out now!
"...a textured beast, with a sound that ricochets through its own essence..." - The Skinny
“… a sharply poetic mixture of visceral music and vivd lyrics.” - Clash
Black International's second album A Lesson In Repression is out now via Good Grief Records. The album is available to stream on Visions.de now and can be bought via the band's Bandcamp page.
The album has gained support from the likes of Exclaim! Magazine, The Skinny, Clash Magazine, Never Mind The Hype and BBC Radio Scotland. Their latest single 'Animal Without Backbone' is a fierce, visceral track in keeping with the tone of the album. The video for the track premiered on Clash who described it as 'intense, noir-shaded songwriting'.
You can watch the video for 'Animal Without Backbone' via the band's YouTube page now.
Stream and buy the track on the Black International Bandcamp page or from the embed below.
Black International's first release from the album A Lesson In Repression was free download track 'A Fence To Keep People Out'. The video that accompanies the song premiered on Exclaim! and is is available to watch on the band's YouTube page.
You can also download 'A Fence To Keep People Out' for free via the ABoF SoundCloud page.
In the run up to recording A Lesson In Repression band members Stewart Allan (vocals, guitar & keyboards) and Craig Peebles (drums & percussion), from Midlothian, Scotland, took over a former Victorian manse and temporarily transformed it into a working studio. This allowed the duo to live and breathe the creative processes of their sophomore album, improvising structures, words and arrangements. With the aid of sound engineer Andrew Bush (The Twilight Sad), they were successfully able to capture the raw, visceral energy of their live show in combination with more textural and stripped-back work, creating music with elements of contemporaries such as Shellac, The Fall and Sonic Youth, but also drawing from wider sources in electronica and post-rock.
A Lesson In Repression is Black International’s second album, following their debut In Debt. They’ve used it as a means to reset their creative boundaries, and open up new avenues for exploration. Live, they’ve graced the stages of Wickerman, Tramlines, GoNorth and Oxjam Festivals, have heard their music played on BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio Scotland and have supported the likes of Speedy Ortiz and Die! Die! Die! The remainder of 2015 will involve the release of the forthcoming album, live performances throughout the UK and may even see them take over another unsuspecting space to record their next EP.
A Lesson In Repression is available to buy now via Bandcamp.
Kapil Seshasayee’s Brazen is out now!
"...ominous..."- Punktastic
"avant-garde and progressive alternative rock" - New Noise Magazine
Kapil Seshasayee has released his new single Brazen, out now via Fu Inle Records and is available to buy now on their Bandcamp.
Brazen is the follow up to Kapil's sophomore EP Crimes, released earlier this year, picking up support from the likes of Punktastic, State, Soundblab and The Vinyl District. The track showcases a real development in Kapil's writing while retaining many of the elements that originally made his music so enthralling, with the experimental nature of his arrangements and strong vocals still strongly present in the mix.
The video for the track premiered on a New Noise Magazine.
You can watch the video now via Production Attic's Vimeo page or from the embed bellow.
Brazen from Production Attic on Vimeo.
You can also listen to and buy Brazen via the Fu Inle Bandcamp page or by clicking below.
Based in Glasgow, Kapil has created something more complex than the average singer songwriter, as he straddles the line between the avant-garde and progressive alternative rock. Having supported the likes of Dead Rider, Screaming Females and Alright The Captain, Kapil has been able to translate his unique noise onto the live stage and he will be heading out on a UK tour before the end of the year supporting the release of his forthcoming single.
Brazen is out now via Fu Inle Records.
Beach Fatigue release Drunken Grrrls
""Virile, attitude-laden rock music.."
- Clash Magazine
Beach Fatigue's first single Drunken Grrrls is out today via Kool Girl Records.
Drunken Grrrls will be the first cut from their forthcoming long player and will see the band continue to explore their blend of garage-surf rock and powerful riot grrrl vocals as heard on previous singles Crash (Too Pure Singles Club, 2014), and Isabelle (Joy Formidable split single, 2015) - which has seen them gather attention over the last few years.
You can stream Drunken Grrrls via the ABoF SoundCloud page.
Previously known as Heavy Petting Zoo - the band who surprised audiences with their menacing garage rock and lively shows - they have recently had a name change as they get ready to launch their debut album. And yes, they still have that dancer.
Formed in Swansea, the band’s members - Amy Zachariah (vocals), Ben Rodway (guitars), Joe Rees (bass & vocals), Billy Horwood (drums) and Jon (dancing) - all went to the same comprehensive school as the city’s most famous figure - Dylan Thomas.
Beach Fatigue have previously played alongside the likes of Menace Beach, Eagulls and Evans the Death, and have played at Green Man, Reading & Leeds Festivals and return to Swn Festival in November this year.
In addition to their debut single they have also released b-side Deathproof which premiered on Clash Magazine. You can download the song for free via the ABoF SoundCloud page or by clicking on the embed below.
Since their inception, the band have received continuous support from BBC Radio Wales’ Adam Walton and Bethan Elfyn. And since their surprising appearance at Cardiff’s Swn Festival in 2013 - which saw them receive a 9/10 from NME’s Laura Snapes - they’ve received plays from BBC Radio One (Huw Stephens, Jen & Alley), 6 Music (Tom Robinson, Steve Lamacq, Nemone), Amazing Radio (Shell Zenner, Simon Raymonde, Gill Mills) and XFM (John Kennedy). Whilst Buzz Magazine (4 Stars) and Sweeping the Nation have followed their progress with glowing reviews.
Drunken Grrrls is out today via Kool Girl Records.