Posts by Jakub

Before I start to gush about The Sight Below I think Alan Kellman from Allmusic Guide nailed the description perfectly: “The work of an anonymous Seattle-based producer with an evident affinity for the outer realms of shoegaze and somber ambient techno, Glider would have been an equally easy fit on Kranky, like label staple Loscil, or an idealized version of 4AD that has maintained the line running through the darker and spacier aspects of their early catalog. Alternately, this is just as likely to evoke the absorbing gray moods present throughout the Cure’s Faith and Seventeen Seconds as thaw-out techno like Yagya’s The Rhythm of Snow or Markus Guenter’s In Moll. Though heavily processed, caressingly foreboding guitars are a major component of the Sight Below sound, the root is Wolfgang Voigt’s Gas releases — whether or not a muffled thump is present, rhythm is paramount. Lesser producers would ride out these tracks for eight or nine minutes, rather than the six-minute average here; this producer keeps things tight and ever-developing, never straying into formlessness.”

The Sight Below – Life’s Fading Light

Slowdive – Melon Yellow

Au Revoir Simone – Backyards Of Our Neighbors

The Sight Below – Further Away video

The Sight Below – “Further Away” from Ghostly International on Vimeo.

Ahh the uphill battle that is releasing electronic music and trying to explain to uninformed fans and even friends that its not all the same 4/4 club music.
It is difficult to attract new fans to the hidden gems of the genre, there is so much good music that comes out weekly that gets buried under mediocre mainstream releases; the gelled up DJs, and the gimmicks that don’t age well. With “No New Enemies Vol. 1” we’ve assembled some up and comers that have strong melodic crossover tracks from the past, present, and future releases on Moodgadget. We think this is our finest attempt to date to show the diversity in this genre’s sound.
Slow disco edit experts Worst Friends kick the compilation off with a psychedelic rock/disco jam that begs the question “What if Pink Floyd made a dance track?” Charles Trees drops in with a dusty, heavy sample-laced track that is both soulful and upbeat; conjuring up the good times.
I know i’ve filled this blog with Benoit Pioulard but here he offers a serenade over a snowy Direwire’s song from the past, a real enjoyable headphone listening piece.
Tstewart’s, “What’s This Color” is new folk at its finest; with bouncy circular guitars, and samples warm enough to take the place of your winter coat in the coming months.
Also, not to be overlooked but Alex/HeadUp did the cover for the compilation and Scott was kind enough to let me take up a whole post to share these exclusive songs on the blog with you guys, I hope you enjoy.

Worst Friends – Pillows Of Wind

Charles Trees – Memories

Direwires – Oh, Her (Benoit Pioulard’s Serenade)

Tstewart – What’s This Color

Well composed ambient music with dynamics always brings a smile to my face no matter how sad people think the song might be. I want to start from bottom to top on this post since this Pub song “Lunch” is the most listened to song on my iTunes with just over 100 plays and clocking in at under 17 minutes long. I don’t know much about Pub, i’ve emailed him a couple times telling him I was a big fan years ago but I think he just keeps to himself I guess which is fine. I’ve honestly never heard anything else like this song, he makes this sound that fluctuates thru the song that feels like your standing in a clear huge air tunnel with the sun just beating down on you thru the glass and you stand there taking on a clean 30 MPH wind with your eyes closed. If you want more by him I’ve posted another alias of his months ago where he went under the name Lucky & Easy.
I went to the label Mush to check to see if Bibio was releasing anything anytime soon and behold there it was, a new LP. They had one song to sample and it couldn’t be more beautiful, a bit short but i’ll take whatever I can get my hands on. Very similar to his sound on his last 2 albums but thats what I want from him; lo-fi folk songs that bring me back to daydreaming about Polish mountain sides, collecting rocks, and thinking about how crayons we’re made.
My friend Danny turned me onto The Innocence Mission when I was getting my first listen in on Sufjan Steven’s Come on Feel the Illinoise! album. The song “John Wayne Gacy Jr.” came on and he ran upstairs and yelled “what’s this rip off artists name?” He thought the songs sounded the same, I still to this day don’t hear it. I guess he was just very protective of The Innocence Mission.
All this time I thought I already posted this Ekkehard Ehlers song but haven’t instead I was actually going to post Yo La Tengo – Autumn Sweater but i’ve already done that, damn. This song just completely satisfies my ambient sweet tooth by offering up some of the richest layers of drone you’ll ever hear. Each time I listen to this song I find a new section to magnify and listen to over and over.
As Autumn is rolling thru I have to throw my ring in with the first winter themed song by French musician Domotic, the beginning really captures that frigid winter night snowshoeing by yourself and wondering why on earth anyone would do this for fun.

Domotic – Smith, Klaus & White

Ekkehard Ehlers – Plays Cornelius Cardew 1

The Innocence Mission – The Lakes Of Canada

Bibio – Mr. & Mrs. Compost

Pub – Lunch

This 13 min. journey by DFA’s most unrated duo is a pure analong synth gem, just let it ride out. When IDM producers slowed down some of the best composers of melody started quiting o9 and Marumari we’re 2 of my favorites, this track was only available if you bought the Marumari remix CD then you had to find the files that we’re on the CD, it came with some real treats like remixes from Casino Versus Japan, Atomly, Kettel, Greg Davis, Lusine, etc. Superpitcher always comes with such fullness, his style of taking techno and stretching and pulling on it to the point its almost made for everyone and the use of bird sounds is unbelievable in this track “You Don’t Need A Weatherman”. I don’t know much about Shogun Kunitoki I just know that this song has been on my computer for a long time and I keep coming back to it, i’ve heard more by them and some of their labelmates and everything was pretty flawless, enjoy the weekend.

Delia Gonzalez & Gavin Russom – Black Spring

Marumari – Untitled (o9 remix)

Carsten Jost – You Don’t Need A Weatherman (Superpitcher Remix)

Shogun Kunitoki – Tropiikin Kuuma Huuma

Morgan Geist is half of Metro Area and just put out a proper LP and got an amazing remix from Carl Craig which I wanted to post but I had to post this single “Detroit” with Junior Boys lead man Jeremy Greenspan because it makes me want to put on the old Junior Boys albums on. I’m not sure if anyone has seen the Gears Of War 2 commercial but the licensed track by DeVotchka is really good kinda reminds me of Beirut a little. There might be a new Panda Bear (Animal Collective band member) album in the works, here’s a new track that I found looking for Cousin Cole which i’ll post later in the week. Has anyone heard of Mount Sims? its electro to say the least but damn good, listen for yourself.

Morgan Geist – Detroit (feat. Jeremy Greenspan of Junior Boys)

DeVotchka – How It Ends

Panda Bear – Untitled

Mount Sims – No Yellow Lines

Alvin Lustig contributions to the design of books and book jackets, magazines, interiors, and textiles as well as his teachings would have made him a credible candidate for the AIGA Lifetime Achievement award when he was alive. By the time he died at the age of forty in 1955, he had already introduced principles of Modern art to graphic design that have had a long-term influence on contemporary practice. He was in the vanguard of a relatively small group who fervently, indeed religiously, believed in the curative power of good design when applied to all aspects of American life. He was a generalist, and yet in the specific media in which he excelled he established standards that are viable today. If one were to reconstruct, based on photographs, Lustig’s 1949 exhibition at The Composing Room Gallery in New York, the exhibits on view and the installation would be remarkably fresh, particularly in terms of the current trends in art-based imagery.

Update: I really can’t find larger images of this work so I put 2 in each image which doesn’t give them justice, please visit here.

January 20th 2009 I really urge you to pick up the new Telefon Tel Aviv record, these 2 from New Orleans/Chicago have given B-Pitch Control a real gift of a record. The record is called “Immolate Yourself” if you live in the EU i think it came out already on Monday. If you haven’t heard the first single off of the record I posted it a little over a month ago here. If you have the chance today to listen to each track all the way thru you should, they’re such dynamic musicians without a dull moment. I also posted a track from 2 older records “Fahrenheit Fair Enough” which I can’t find for less than 35 USD but i’m sure it’s on iTunes and “Map Of What Is Effortless“.

Telefon Tel Aviv – Immolate Yourself

Telefon Tel Aviv – Fahrenheit Fair Enough

Telefon Tel Aviv – The Birds

Telefon Tel Aviv – My Week Beats Your Year

I grabbed a few recent favorites that have just come out like the Mux Mool, Daso, and Alex Anderson tracks. All 3 are a bit different sounding but a nice collection, maybe drop the Mux Mool track once the election is over today? As for this Gui Boratto track it just unravels really nicely while you listen, these are a few new attempts to keep sharing the diversity in electronic “dance” music.

Gui Boratto – Acrostico

Daso – Meine (Lucio Aquilina Remix)

Mux Mool – Death 9000

Alex Anderson – Devils

So I’m looking at my external hard drive this morning and i’m thinking man! i’m glad I don’t own one of the ones that look like Dell designed it or one that is all clunky looking or looks like its Mountain Dew sponsored and has a weird glowing green light (my apologizes if yours has a green light). Also, I wonder if I should be looking into a new external hard drive? i’ve heard mix reviews on these Porsche LaCie drives and I have 2 and i’m looking to get one main one that’s really reliable, any suggestions? Now back to daydreaming about the Porsche Tapiro, also did anyone pick one of these up yet or did we agree that is was too expensive?

Snow Patrol are talented musicians but have always been in between the cracks of being not indie enough for the Scandinavian’s and too poppy for the indie sound in the States. I’m hoping with this new record they have nailed down the sound that can take them where they want to be. This track off their new album is really enjoyable, reminds me of an upbeat Jose Gonzalez song with catchy stomps and handclaps. That cover is pretty spot on if you don’t count the overused font, I saw it on the street and had to share it with you guys because what i love about is the craft, I’d like to see more designers create something and photograph it once in a while when it comes down to simpler ideas like this.
I saw Low Motion Disco earlier this year DJ in some basement in Manhattan with a few DFA DJ’s, he was really good and dropped some deep cuts but he was djing with a Pacemaker which is this gross iPhone/PSP looking DJ gadget that makes the DJ look even more of a dope which I hate saying but it’s true and us dj’s don’t need anymore things like these especially when you see them thumbin’ thru mp3’s and dancing with it in hand.
The Dead Texan is half of Stars of the Lid on the adored Kranky label, i’ve been saving this song to put on a mix but had to leak and share a favorite of mine with all you since I think it’s a great Monday song.
The Outrunners are pretty much 80’s synth driving music and if you listen to a lot of the posts I put up here you’ll notice i’m a fan of that sound. It’s pretty repetitive which isn’t a bad thing and makes you want to get ready for the big game against the undefeated champions while your the underdog from a small town but has the heart of a true champion.

Snow Patrol – The Golden Floor

Low Motion Disco – Things Are Gonna Get Easier

The Dead Texan – When I See Scissors, I Cannot Help But Think Of You

The Outrunners – Blazing Speed & Neon Lights With You