Introducing.. Bagheera

Bagheera are an unsigned band from the University of Liverpool, quickly garnering a reputation and some well-deserved momentum following their first gig in May and the recent release of their free four-track, the Hollow Home EP. They already have a Steve Lamacq BBC6 single of the week and a Guardian new music feature under their belts, as well as flattering comparisons to Fleet Foxes and Grizzly Bear.

The music is dark and choral, with electro-acoustic melodies shuffled underneath almost totally inaudible vocals. The frequencies are low and post-punkish, and the whole feel of the music has a kind of transcendental, semi-ambient edge to it. The guitars are turned low but are very much awake, the structure and heavy reverbial sound of Bagheera's raw and tribal music is like nothing else. Grizzly Bear and Fleet Foxes comparisons are totally justified - you'll see for yourself.

Parts sound as if The Dodos formed an ambient post-punk band and covered Incubus - others as if Fleet Foxes are singing Fever Ray songs. Some sections could easily be hollowed out Animal Collective B-sides.

You can download the Hollow Home EP in obscenely high quality here, via mediafire.

The XX (Reading Festival 2009) LIVE REVIEW

The XX (who i originally introduced back in June) are a group of four 20 year olds who from humble beginnings have quickly become one of the most hyped bands on the planet. They hail from South West London, and met at the Elliot School - joining 3 members of Hot Chip, Burial and Four Tet as famous musical alumni. Their quiet confidence and dark, dreamy pop sound has landed them slots at Reading & Leeds festivals, as well as support slots on Florence & The Machine's fall tour. They've toured with The Big Pink and Micachu and have a tour of their own planned for November.

Their sound is downbeat, with dark and bassy post-punk guitar lines shadowing softly spoken lyrics. With a touch more intensity, The XX's songs could have been written for Aaliyah - Romy Madley Crofts voice is 100% good enough, and they make no secret of a huge pop, soul and RnB influence on their music. The mood and execution, and the band's style is where they depart.

The XX were certainly one of the most, if not the most, downbeat acts at Reading. They delivered their songs with barely a word in between, with very little movement other than looks of reserved satisfaction. The lack of act they gave was quite clearly not due to any kind of nervousness - that's just the kind of people they appear. It would have seemed wrong for The XX to be, say, jumping around the stage like most of the acts at Reading. Particularly in this case, less was more.

No matter how famous the XX get, you can just tell from seeing them live that its not going to affect them, they truly let the music do the talking - throughout the set they only spoke to reveal 'free t-shirts at the front', and that Teardrops 'is a cover'. Furthermore, every delivery was spot on - they recreated their material perfectly, showing no signs of nervousness and no slips. Their stripped to the bones performance was totally appropriate. I can genuinely say that The XX were the only thing i saw at Reading Festival that truly blew me away. They stood out in more ways than i could have imagined.

The eponymous debut is out now (CD - VINYL via Amazon).

The XX - Crystalised (MP3) (taken from the album 'XX')

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros are an eccentric and evidently also slightly insane ten man folk collective from LA whos manic Yes-style folk rock ensembles and rock ballad melodies have been leaving crowds capulated since mid-2007. They've been together as a band since 2005, but only started releasing material in early 2009. Up From Below (the debut album out July 14 on Vagrant Records/Rough Trade) followed a series of EPs and 7" releases spread from March through April and May.

Phone-less and internet-less, this shoeless band of psychedelic folksters sound like the War On Drugs and the Dirty Projectors moulded together - there are definitely elements of Born Ruffians, Bob Dylan, and classic arrangements of Bruce Springsteen and The Hold Steady in and amongst their dense and folky instrumentation. The Dave Longstreth of the bunch - principle songwriter for his rowdy assembly of musicians, notably, is former Ima Robot frontman Alex Ebert.

Ed Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros have delved into more than just music as a form of media; in the same way The Arcade Fire and Sigur Ros have spent their time recently, the band have tried their trained hand at film-making, with the second installment of their 12 part feature length musical production due soon and the first - Desert Song hitting screens this June.



The first single post-album release, 40 Day Dream/Geez Louise 7" came out on August 30th, and is available to buy through the band's myspace. The band have been in the Daytrotter session studio all day today, and their tracks are up today for download through the Daytrotter website.

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Om Nashi Me (MP3)

Buy the debut Up From Below via Amazon.

What can I say, the video is a bit big and a bit strange, but also quite entertaining.

Introducing.. Quebec Antique

Quebec Antique are a half-Brit, half-Canadian electronica band formed in mid-2008 who have been kicking around both my Itunes music collection and my head since their 'Abbey Tapes' came out in January of this year. The band is a duo made up of Michael Blake and Andy Dollerson, Blake providing the organic, Dollerson providing the electronic. The band believe that their music succeeds in balancing the two, not overcomplicating the electronica side of things, but not simplifying to the bland levels of much contemporary pop music.

The combination, whether it achieves its mission statement or not, is lush. The vocal distinctly reminds me of Sjur Lyseid of Monzano and The Little Hands Of Asphalt (an acoustic band i strongly recommend if you haven't heard already), and the music is much like that of Sigur Ros, in more ways than one. The electronics are absolutely mindblowing - at times the ambient noise that Dollerson comes out with can sound like anything from Burial and Sigur Ros, to Boards of Canada. Quebec Antique sound like the next signing to Arts & Crafts.

While the music is awe-inspiring, the song structures remain relatively simple; every sound Quebec Antique make has that timeless feel of antiquity to it, and a grand realisation that the way to make powerful music is not to turn the volume up loud. In no way is the sentimentality of the arrangement lost when glitch-drumming joins towards the end of some of the tracks, the shoegazy element and dubbed down dance music beats simply add to the urgency. Lightly plucked reverbial strings remain dominant, and lyrics remain clear, subtle and well spoken.

You can order the Abbey Tapes, read their review, and preview the album over at CDBaby.

Quebec Antique - Sleep (MP3) (taken from the Abbey Tapes)
Quebec Antique - Right As Rain (MP3) (taken from the Abbey Tapes)

Antlers album remastered, new video for 'Two'

The Antlers are a shoegaze/indie pop band from Brooklyn, New York made up of Peter Silberman, Michael Lerner and Darby Cicci. In March of this year they released Hospice, marking not their first release, but certainly a definitive step towards a full band sound as opposed to Silberman's folkier solo recordings of the last three years.

Silberman had moved to Manhattan around 5 years previously and after an 18 month period of isolation he released The Antler's first album In The Attic Of The Universe under his own name. Soon after, he re-emerged into Brooklyn, and recruited Lerner and Cicci on percussion and other instruments. The Antlers over the next two years would release New York Hospitals and Cold War as EPs, before formulating a collection of material in early 2009 to contribute to the first full Antlers album 'Hospice'.

What emerged was a downtempo post-folk masterpiece, gaining almost unanimous critical acclaim. The independently produced album vastly outsold anything the band themselves expected, they were quickly signed to Frenchkiss records with a series of strong positive reviews behind them.

A remastered version of this stunning album was released on August 18, 2009 by Frenchkiss, along with the video for the lead single 'Two'.



Silberman shares not only part of his life story with Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, but also the influence the time in social exile gave him on his resultant music. Silberman's storytelling is desperate and intimate, and coated in lumberous melodies of confused, ambient folk. Some songs appear disorientated and vague, but others drive forwards on a full band post-folk sound. Layers of Cicci's instrumentation (banjo, keyboards, trumpet, bass guitar) engulf the desperate vocals and hypnotic percussion into expansive, reverbial shoegaze pop. They've recorded a My Bloody Valentine cover of When You Sleep, and the storyline of Hospice is a concept album of losing a loved one to cancer. The lyrical themes certainly fit the style.

You can pick up older songs for free on The Antler's Myspace

The Frenchkiss re-issue of Hospice is available through Amazon.

The Antlers - Two (MP3) (from Hospice)
The Antlers - Bear (MP3) (from Hospice)
The Antlers - When You Sleep (MP3) (My Bloody Valentine Cover)

New Pains Of Being Pure At Heart EP

There's certainly no shortage of exciting CD releases this September, but Pains of Being Pure At Heart's latest EP Higher Than The Stars completes the set, certainly for me anyway. The half sized follow up to the eponymous February debut is out September 22 on Slumberland records, and will feature 4 new tracks from the My Bloody Valentine inspired shoegaze band.

The Pains of Being Pure At Heart sound as if the members of Slowdive, M83 and My Bloody Valentine were all 17 again, and made a noise pop side project inspired by twee. Whilst the sun soaked sound may not be entirely original, the songwriting is fantastic - Pains of Being Pure at Heart warm you up from the inside with their luscious, reverb-coated sliding melodies. The dubbed down boy/girl vocals are naive and optimistic and this theme convincingly carries on into the new material.

The new single Come Saturday is a fast paced, Jesus & Mary Chain inspired shoegaze track which is out on 7" this August. The follow up, Higher Than The Stars is out on Slumberland records September 22 before a full US tour and then a full UK tour in October through December. Pains are definitely not a band to neglect their UK audience - they've already visited the UK this spring on tour, playing a wide selection of shows nationwide in support of their LP.

Higher Than The Stars is more euphoric, and even cuter than anything they've released before, and that's saying something. For some reason unknown, this track just makes me deeply happy and nostalgic, in the same kind of way that those Graveyard Girl/Teen Angst M83 breakdowns had been doing long before I discovered this band. The new song is much more synth-heavy and guitar-light, as well as being better produced and recorded than any of their other material; its silky electronic execution has a definitive 90s spin on it, unparalleled by any newgaze band i can think of from modern times. Sometimes bands are just born two decades too late - I can't help but feel if this band was from the 90s they would be an undisputed household name.

Higher Than The Stars EP is out September 22 on Slumberland

Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Higher Than The Stars (MP3) (taken from the Higher Than The Stars EP)

Pre-order Pains Of Being Pure At Heart on Amazon.

Tom Allalone & The 78s

Tom Allalone & The 78s are a Kent based indie rock band, whose debut album Major Sins Pt.1 came out on Nettwerk Records on May 5th 2009. Its a quirky and forceful attempt from the debuting foursome of music enthusiasts - they certainly aren't afraid of turning their guitars up loud, and they without a doubt have every bit the confidence and swagger their song structures suggest. From the same label as Ladytron, Datarock and Placebo, Tom Allalone and his 78s have brought the British music scene a high dosage of what can only be described as 'banging' riffs, extrovertive vocals and dirty overdriven indie rock. Tom Allalone's music is one part post-Arctic Monkeys indie rock explosion, one part Jet-style high tempo blues rock and one part near-perfect execution. There is a bluesy edge to everything on this distinctly British album, and you can sample this in the form of a free download of single Get Down and Dirty via the bands myspace.



Members Tom Allalone, Richard Clarke, Si Fawcett and Matt Evans have just finished touring of the UK with Stereophonics and Imelda May and have set some time down in the studio writing for a new album. They have a one-off Oxford Street support slot in mid September with The Magic Numbers, following a 2nd in command slot at Poole Park Festival late August (just down the road from me - i'd attend if it didn't clash with Reading Festival!).

Tom and his 78s are definitely a jazz-influenced punk foursome to watch out for this year, especially with the announcement of several new songs written and ready to go. If they're anything like the last lot they released they'll be punchy, intelligent and more infectious than swine flu.

Album through the myspace, sample mp3 below. Watch Crashland in session live at Phoenix FM above.

Tom Allalone & The 78s - Sign On, You Lazy Diamond (mp3)

Introducing.. Lymbyc Systym

Lymbyc Systym are by no means a new post-rock band. The two brothers Mike and Jared, signed to Magic Bullet Records, formed the band in 2001, and although no material was printed until 2005, they have an EP and two albums out, and an April 2009 split with This Will Destroy You. Looking ahead, they have their latest LP Shutter Release due out in November, following a recently announced September US tour in support of The Books. However this certainly isn't their first prestigious support slot - since they became active in 2005, they've shared the stage with Her Space Holiday, The One AM Radio, Broken Social Scene, Crystal Castles, The Album Leaf and This Will Destroy You - a very diverse set of acts for a post-rock duo to play with.

In terms of sound, they lie somewhere between the speed sections of This Will Destroy You's debut album and the out of time melodic sections of contemporaries such as Explosions In The Sky. They combine the two influences to form guitar driven walls of sound, seperated out by semi-ambient melodies and glitch electronics. The result is not violent but euphoric and intense, partly jazz influenced, and held together by eerily calm ambient drones and bone shattering drumming. As with a lot of post-rock, Lymbyc Systym manage to start off their songs calmly and quietly but seamlessly raise the mood into Broken Social Scene style euphoria in the outro.

The Field Studies split w/ This Will Destroy You is available now on Magic Bullet Records or through Amazon.

The new album is due November on Mush Records.

Lymbyc Systym - Narita (mp3) (taken from the Field Studies Split EP)

Lonely London Lad

As the name definitely doesn't suggest, Lonely London Lad is in fact an indie rock three piece from just out of California. They are quirky and experimental, with fully streamable music via their myspace, and to be quite honest, you never really know with them what is coming next.

Just by a brief look at their Myspace, you can tell that these guys are determined to make it big. They've just released a 25 track mega-album on their own label Lonely London Lad Records which they have gone about promoting unashamedly, gaining reviews on a wide range of music blogs as well as setting up their own merchandise shop. Its also a breath of fresh air to see a band website that is firstly, genuinely interesting and secondly, updated. They've gone and mixed their new album down into a short sampler which standing at 4 minutes 20 seconds, is actually very entertaining. Once more, they've made confusing and original music videos to match their music, put together eccentrically by the sole employee of LLL records - Rob.

The unconventional art rockers have been together since early 2008, and since then have made over 50 music videos. LLL is made up of two Americans and one Brit, one of which apparently sold his private island to keep Lonely London Lad indie. Lonely London Lad's awkward and somewhat unorthodox nature is certainly reflected in their music. Art rockers is the perfect way to describe them, and a comparison to the UK's Rakes would not be unrealistic.



There is no news of touring, especially not to the UK, but with a large album release and the bands prolific nature - it's only a matter of time. Rarely have I seen a band with so much solid material behind them before they contemplated an album. It'd be nice to see Lonely London Lad back in London, but i definitely can't imagine them being lonely if they played a gig here.

Lonely London Lad are a driven and motivated band on the rise, with a Menomena/Yeasayer influence on Rakes style straight leg indie rock claiming original reviews across the blogosphere.

I've failed miserably at getting hold of an mp3 for you. But the video is a fine one.

New 'Girls' Video - Lust For Life

San Franciscan lo-fi duo Girls have a new video, and it is brilliant.



Girls these days are made up of Christopher Owens and Chet 'JR' White, who came together after Chris's side project with Liza Thorn - Curls, became redundant after Thorn's decision to concentrate solely on her own band BRIDEZ. Chris went on to form Girls with White, while Chris initially (we're talking early 2008) split his time between Girls and his older band Holy Shit.

While their origins may appear complicated, to appreciate Girls you have to let the music do the talking. Girls make a timeless blend of 60s surf pop, 80s punk and tropical thrash which sends those nostalgic shivers of youth right down to the base of your spine. There are a whole host of highly influential bands quite obviously on Girls' influence list. New Pornographers, Spiritualized and Pixies all spring to mind on aural consumption. Elements of early 90s shoegaze pop are also quite clear as well as that timeless alternative rock sound and heart on sleeve storytelling of Semisonic and Counting Crows . Girls draw elements of their outcome slightly from every era, with every distinct influence coming together faultlessly to form what the duo themselves call their own 'punk DIY version of great pop.'

They have half-completed tours across the US this summer and are visiting Northern Europe, and later the UK in September and October. The album, thoughtfully christened album is due out September 21st in the US, and the new single (although the track has been around for some time), out September 7th, is embedded in the video above. Considering I never usually watch music videos as i don't particularly like the idea of them, filmmaker Aaron Brown has done a fantastic and highly appropriate job.

Fred Falke

It's not often I cover artists whose work centres almost solely on other people's material, but sometimes, when a remix artist consistently churns out intelligent and listenable remixes which almost top their originals, you have to give them a mention. Fred Falke has done exactly this. His ventures into music production began in the late 90s (he began playing music a bass player around 1995), and since then he's collaborated with notably Alan Braxe, and more recently French based German DJ and friend Kris Menace.

Alan Braxe & Fred Falke - Intro
Alan Braxe - Addicted (Original Mix)

His first record Intro, featuring a sample from The Jets 1987 hit Crush On You, was made in collaboration with Alan Braxe and released in 2000 on the French Vulture label; since then the pair have formed a high output remix duo, remixing bands prestigious as Death From Above, Van She and Justice before their split around the beginning of 2008.

DFA - Black History Month (Fred Falke & Alan Braxe Remix)
Van She - Kelly (Fred Falke & Alan Braxe Remix)
Justice - D.A.N.C.E (Alan Braxe Remix)

Fred Falke's post-Braxe work is where he really shines. He's worked with, amongst others, The Gossip, La Roux, and Grizzly Bear since the split, effortlessly making 4 minute pop songs into 6 - 9 minute excerts of timeless, dreamy house music. His signature sound is full and synth heavy, building up, building down and re-emphasising sounds across the board, to create shining melodic combinations of danceable 90s disco music. Strong beats typically lie beneath spacey, distant vocal takes which throughout the course of the tracks transform from vague, semi-ambient background sounds into widening expanses of electronic euphoria. Listen to his some of his more recent work below via mediafire.

The Gossip - Heavy Cross (Fred Falke Remix)
The Whitest Boy Alive - Golden Cage (Fred Falke Remix)
La Roux - Bulletproof (Fred Falke Remix)

Plugs.

Little more is understood of British psychedelic three-piece Plugs than that their existence is an alternate project of Does It Offend You Yeah?'s former lead guitarist Morgan Q. He plays guitars and drum machines and sings the lead vocals for the long-since formed Peckham band, and is joined live by the mysterious pseudonymns of his nameless bandmates David Chin and Boomer on bass, keys and backing vocals.

According to the Plugs myspace, the group of electronic musicians have been making Psychedelic/Concrete/Progressive music since their casual formation in London late 2005. They have an impressive Festival season ahead (and behind them) having already played Loop Festival and Field Day this August, with future dates at the BBC Introducing... stage at Reading and Leeds Festivals as well as V Festival on the 22nd.

Plugs only really started playing music regularly once again earlier this year, following Morgan Q's concise and well publicised split with his former band in April, making the claims that Does It Offend were never really 'his sort of band aesthetically' and that he felt he had a better 'creative outlet' in the form of Plugs. Plugs output so far has certainly appeared far more creative than anything made in the form of Does It Offend You Yeah? Morgan's switch marks a reshuffle of priorities - the band has had material for years, even if it got a bit neglected following success elsewhere.

There obviously are elements of the former band incorporated into the new project, whether intended or not - but instead of the synthesizers turned up to 11, chaotic structures and the ferocious live shows they became famous for, the new music is a calmer take on prog-rock style synthpop music. Opener 'Opening Theme' is grand enough to lure any listener into a live show - in a sense, the music speaks entirely for itself. The vocals remain eccentric and distinctly British in humour and delivery, at times they remind of Bloc Party, but the music is often closer to those at the height of electronic creativity, Black Moth Super Rainbow, The Octopus Project and even a fuller sounding Portishead spring to mind. Plugs manage to make dark and intelligent music into fun music, Hot Chip style.

As of yet there is no news of an album, but with the band quickly gaining live momentum and a fanbase as dedicated as the last project, an album and tour of some sort is surely only a matter of time. Pick up single Imaginary Friend below.

Plugs - Imaginary Friend

Plugs Myspace

Dorian Concept

Austrian based idm producer Dorian Concept has announced details of his latest LP (the follow-up to February's When Planets Explode) to be released on 9th September by strange name of Trilingual Dance Sexperience. The young Austrian has grown himself a dedicated following around the electronic scene of Vienna, forming a refreshing part of the new wave of glitchy electronica already spearheaded by Flying Lotus, Prefuse 73 and Hudson Mohawk amongst others.

His extrovertive mix of scatty beats, cut up melodies and heavy stacatto sampling have been featured in everything from digital EPs of 2005's Nouns and The Relevance of Wood and 2006's Seek When Is Her to remix work with Mickey Eats Plastic throughout 2006-7. Notable releases which followed included the production of Swedish singer Kissey Asplund's Silverlake EP, as well as a series of appearances on remix tapes and compilations such as Jay Scarlett's Circulations and Here Comes Treble. He also has a series of casual youtube videos featuring himself and a series of Korgs, Micron and Casio synthesizers.

It's a step into new territory for the young Austrian to be releasing a second full length only 6 months after his full debut emerged, but after widely positive receptions, it's one in the right direction. The teaser for the new album (and it really is a teaser!) is streamable from Vienna's Affine Records, and a full length stream of When Planets Explode is available via Kindred Spirits.

Trilingual Dance Sexperience / Tropical Hands - Teaser
When Planets Explode - Album Stream

Fanfarlo announce tour with First Aid Kit

London twee pop band Fanfarlo (previous post) have announced a full UK tour with folk band First Aid Kit, along with a money-saving presale via MusicGlue. If you haven't already heard First Aid Kit, they are a swedish acoustic duo, made up of Klara and Johanna Söderberg from Stockholm Sweden, who got quite a following after covering Fleet Foxes' Tiger Mountain Peasant Song late last year. Following it's success, they set up their twitter to take requests for more songs to cover. The first video of the lot, a cover of Buffy Sainte-Marie's Universal Soldier, is embedded below.



They have The Drunken Trees EP out now, and is definitely worth a listen and you can request more covers at their website. The link for the cheap Fanfarlo tour presale is HERE.

First Aid Kit - Little Moon is the first track from the EP.

September 28 Manchester – Deaf Institute
September 29 York – Fibbers
September 30 Glasgow – ABC2
October 2 Middlesbrough – Westgarth
October 3 Nottingham – Bodega
October 5 Oxford – Jericho Tavern
October 6 London – Bush Hall
October 7 Brighton – Hanbury Ballroom
October 8 Cardiff – Clwb Ifor Bach
October 9 Leeds – Brudenell Social Club

Epic45 announce new mini-album and pre-order

Staffordshire based dream pop band Epic45 have announced the pre-order sale for their new mini album In All The Empty Houses which, according to the band, will go on sale 'soon'. According to the bands myspace, videos for the new album's tracks are also imminent at their website.

The band have over 20 releases since 1995 and have built enough of a reputation to gain contributions from Simon Scott (Slowdive and Televise) and from newest member Paul Mannasseh. Their sound is a mixture of acoustics and shoegazing electronica sounds reminiscent of Sigur Ros and M83, combined with loose fingerpicked guitars and luscious, distant vocals. They've never been a band to search for limelight; the music mirrors this, it is happy to drift along pleasantly and aimlessly to the finish. Their last full release, 2007's May Your Heart Be The Map, was described by Word Magazine as the "best English Summer album ever."

Tracklisting for In All The Empty Houses:

1. We Were Never Here
2. Daylight Ghosts
3. In All The Empty Houses
4. The Future Is Blinding
5. Their Voices In The Rafters
6. Ghosts On Tape

Preorder the album through Norman Records, and hear some sound clips on THIS LINK.

Epic45 - Winterbirds

New No Age - Losing Feeling EP

Two man noise punk outfit No Age have announced a free stream for their latest installment of guitar-bashing atonal pop music; this time in the form of the Losing Feeling EP, coming out on mp3 and 12" vinyl but not on compact disc. The four track is set for release in both formats on 6th October in the US, and is available at a discounted price if you pre-order.

As for content, supposedly Genie was recorded in the bands practice space, and the other three tracks at LA in Infrasonic Sound Studios. They have definitely gone for the ambient sections of Nouns to work on for the new EP, which is in no way as heavy in sound as the debut album bar fourth track Your A Target, which sounds like your soaring towards one. The EP is definitely an entertaining piece of music - stream it HERE.

No Age - Teen Creeps (from 2008's Nouns - Link Via Sub Pop Records)

Preorder the EP at a discount HERE.

New Wild Beasts SXSW Session

Quirky indie rock band Wild Beasts have released a new Daytrotter Session at SXSW showcase this year in support of their fourth album Two Dancers. The session does not sadly feature the fantastic Hooting & Howling (the video which you can find HERE in a previous post), but does contain the next single (adjudged purely by the band on crowd reception) All The King's Men as well as the bands 'rock' This Is Our Lot. There is also a nice version of the vocal showcase of a lead Limbo, Panto single Devils Crayon.

The falsetto leads the songs as always with Wild Beasts, the quivering voice of singer Hayden Thorpe hovering just over the delicate and fragile rhythms the band create.
The tour takes place in October (full details here) and the highly anticipated album came out August 3rd.

Check out the SXSW session on THIS LINK.

Enjoy!

New Gold Panda, Quitters Raga 7" Out Today

Gold Panda has always been known as a remixer, in fact since his emergence on the lo-fi electronica scene a few years ago he's already reworked artists as big as Little Boots, Simian Mobile Disco and Bloc Party with his toned down, chrome finished take on electronic music. Originally from Essex, he's now based in London, and has worked on notable projects with Ninja Tune underground dance/hip-hop artists Shuttle and Infinite Livez.

These days he's trying his hand publicly at solo material for the first time, and the 500 copy-limited edition Quitters Raga is out today on makemine records. It's a lo-fi, post-electro take on Four Tet fashioned folktronica, with inaudible samples soaked over Bibio-esque folk riffs and neon coated, semi-ambient melody lines. The whole result is a lightly synthesized portion of jangling, 90s influenced, genre-hopping electronic experimentalism.

GOLD PANDA - Back Home from NO-FACE Films on Vimeo.

You can order the 7" from Rough Trade HERE and i've stuck a fairly recent Marina & The Diamonds remix, last year's rarity Back Home and new track Quitters Raga on the end of the post for download.

Enjoy!

Marina & The Diamonds - Obsessions (Gold Panda Remix)
Gold Panda - Back Home (link removed by request)
Gold Panda - Quitters Raga (link removed by request)