The Sight Below – Glider

Glider, the first full-length release from Seattle-based ambient techno producer The Sight Below (aka Rafael Anton Irisarri), was out for the first time way back in 2008. While this doesn’t exactly qualify as fresh and up-to-date,  the impending re-release of this album on double vinyl, combined with the fantastic quality of the work itself, is definite cause for a mention. If you’re a fan of the delicate sparsity of Pantha du Prince or the electronic soundscapes created by Machinefabriek then we’d highly recommend you jump on this release – available to stream in full below.

If you like what you hear then nip over to the Ghostly International site to peep his other releases. Some really beautiful stuff to be discovered. Here’s a free EP for you to download too. Nize.

Image is by Berenice Abbott.

Ezekiel Honig – Folding In On Itself

Here’s a new release from Type records. It’s the first record New Yorker Ezekiel Honig has put out with them and it’s a real doozy. I suppose it could loosely be described as ambient techno – kind of like Pantha du Prince or Nico Jaar but stripped right, right back until the beat is almost lost in a haze of sound. This doesn’t really do it many favours in describing its effect though; it only signifies its starting point. From there it takes myriad field recording samples, snatches of lost percussion and haunting, melancholy sub-melodies and paints a profoundly evocative portrait of a decaying city of sadness. And it’s really beautiful stuff.

Image is by architectural artist Tom Noonan.

NEW RELEASES TO GET EXCITED ABOUT

Bit of a break from our normal output here, but there have been a few announcements in recent weeks that have made us sit up, take notice and salivate profusely. It may only be February, but thoughts are starting to turn to summer releases and festivals (damn those tricky record companies and their impeccably timed schedules) and in honour of this, here’s a bit of news about some people that we like whose new albums are imminent.

First, tUnE-yArDs is back! Merril Garbus and her trusty looping pedal have been in the studio and will release the follow up to the simply outstanding, BiRd BrAiNs on April 19th. The first single off her new album, w h o k i l l, premiered on Radio One a few days ago and is featured below. Apologies for Zane Lowe’s hyperbolic ramblings over the start and finish…

Next, Julian Lynch yesterday announced the release of  Terra, which will arrive via Underwater Peoples (not literally you hope) some time in the spring. Check out a live version of some tracks from the album over at the Free Music Archive or simply take in the languid, Just Enough, from last year’s LP, Mare, here:

Meanwhile, 4AD’s Gang Gang Dance have annnounced the follow up to 2008′s St. Dymphna. Apparently it’s called Eye Contact and is set to be released in the UK on May 9th. Exactly one month earlier they’re due play at Village Underground for a Dazed and Confused party, though no ticket news has emerged for the show as of yet. Still, keep your eyes peeled for that one and, in the meantime, have a listen to First Communion and imagine jumping around to it in a body-strewn sweatbox.

And finally. As if the thought of  seeing Gang Gang on the 9th wasn’t enough, the 8th of April sees an AV favourite land on these shores for what promises to be a very special performance. Pantha du Prince this week announced the release of an album’s worth of remixes from last year’s jaw-dropping, Black Noise. To go with this, he’s doing a set at Queen Elizabeth Hall on the Southbank alongside Apparat, who’ll be spinning cuts from last year’s excellent DJ Kicks. Here’s Animal Collective’s take on Welt Am Draht:

Warmth 2

Quick update for all a y’all on the Warmth front. Selection of five of the deepest, darkest, dirtiest underground dancefloor tracks that have recently been making our feet twitch, heads bounce and hair stand on end.

Kangding Ray – A1 Pruitt Igoe Part 1 (Rise)

Heavy minimal German techno that growls its way under your skin. On the awesome Raster Noton label.

Elgato – Blue

Introverted, spaced-out 2-step courtesy of Elgato’s debut track on Hessle Audio. Expect a lot more to come from this young British producer.

Clara Moto – Hazel

Beautiful slice of shut-your-eyes, end-of-the-night deep house. Fans of Pantha du Prince should be very excited by this one.

Caribou – Bowls (Icarus Remix)

I was pretty underwhelmed by the remix LP for Swim, but Icarus’ menacing rework, which popped up on Soundcloud yesterday, is in a completely different league.

Couple of bits of AV now for you. First up’s Kevin Gorman (who I think sounds like someone who works in IT support for a credit fraud company, but hey-ho), signed to the Berghain-owned Ostgut Ton label. Mad keen on the stuff they’ve been putting out recently (their Fünf compilations are a must-have) and this track is no exception.

And to round it off here’s a slice of absolute madness from the brilliantly named Harmonius Thelonius. American minimalism vs. African drumming vs. European sequencing. Apparently.

Image is by Swedish graphic designer Malin Bergström and is absolutely crying out to be used on someone’s album sleeve. You can see more of her great work here.

Add Void’s Ten from 2010 #1

Greetings! As promised, here’s the first installment of our ‘best of the year’ mixes. To kick it off we thought we’d get into the party spirit and share with you what we consider to be some of the finest danceable cuts from the past year, featuring a stunning array of deep, infectious rhythms and basslines from the likes of Four Tet, Luke Abbott, Blondes and Teengirl Fantasy. ‘Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la, la la la laaaa.

Click here to view the full track listing and to check out our other mixes.

Hunt

To pass the time at work a friend and I (imaginably like most poorly-waged 20-somethings who have more enjoyable things to do with their lives other than entering figures in spreadsheets, proof-reading catalogues and deciding whether spot UV or a fifth colour fluoro would make your brochure more appealing to the target demographic – PUKE) enjoy sending each other music videos off youtube. She’s a fair bit more into dance music than me but has impeccable taste, so it’s always a treat, even if some of it’s not stuff that I’d actively search out myself. In fact it’s probably more so for that exact reason.

Here’s a selection of her recent choicest cuts: