Posts by Jakub

CEO is half of Sweden’s The Tough Alliance, its upbeat pop that reminds me of the lighter side that the Balearic sound needed to keep that great genre going.

Benoit Pioulard does a non vocal remix of Owen Pallett’s recent single, great texture and echo.

Its been awhile since we’ve heard anything relevant from long time instrumental masters To Rococo Rot, i’m really enjoying this one, it has soo many hints of what I enjoyed from their first few records but touches on maybe even better melodies.

You probably won’t find Paul Mueller on iTunes because he’s a street performer that I saw in Manhattan yesterday, he hammered away beautiful melodies on his Dulcimer while I sat and starred. I’m guessing he’ll play more? Union Square L stop at around 3p? if you see him ask him to add the bells to the LP that were on his ankles, that combo made me miss 3 trains.

Foxes In Fiction originally released his album Swung from the Branches by himself for free but recently has reissued it with 3 bonus tracks including this song Flashing Lights Have Ended Now. This weekend I got to see him play at the record store down the block from my house that is run by Mexican Summer, he played a great set that reminded me of Atlas Sound and Benoit Pioulard.

While I was in that record store the record shop guy put on this 12″ from The Samps which is a great mixture of some of my favorite genres all in one. It has that lo-fi sound that Lone brought back nicely while touching on a slow disco tempo to carry it along into something fresh sounding.

The Field never disappoints on remixes, this time he takes a stab at a label mates single, the original by Walls was great but at the 2:16 mark this remix becomes a Field classic.

Carpark as always is on a tear, cleaning up with the most exciting signings. Recently they signed Light Pollution who have already secured some lovely bill spots like Pitchfork’s After Party @ The Empty Bottle w/ Delorean + Glasser and opening for Neon Indian, look for them to squeeze onto more summer mixtapes.

I always try to figure out why I listen to soo much music that has a soft flow to it, then I think about what songs I wanted to hear the most out of my mom’s music collection. She always seemed to have these great low key parties with close friends when we came to the States, I remember just laying there in the dark with the light and sounds coming from the cracked door, the tone was perfect, especially an uninterrupted front to back listen of The Police.

I really didn’t get to hear any Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Miles Davis, Fleetwood Mac, etc that I can remember, some would say I missed out but its okay with me, I just wanted to thank my mom real quick ha! it was mostly this. Maybe because we came from Poland and this is what was popular in the mid 80’s-early 90’s? What did your parents love that just gets you every time still? I’m not going to lie I think my play count of early Sting is in the 100’s on iTunes. On a side note on this Enya song, make fun of it all you want BUT what production, its maybe cheesy for most but thinking of it as a new song i’d be really impressed from a solo artist to get this sound out of them.

I’ve been in love with the label Service lately, they have a strong catalog and specific sound that usually catches my ears even if I go back to the early releases. Their latest release is Ikons who’s self titled LP has playing on repeat since last week. The sound is dreamy and druggy with sweet underlying texture that flows in and out of the vocal style, should be a great release.

New Blonde Redhead, you should just check it out and give it your attention.

The first time I heard Actress I was with Scott, I think I freaked him out because I probably sounded obsessed over a sound that might of sounded raw and unfinished but it hit on this sound that touched on Detroit roots that probably wouldn’t appeal to many others, this LP Splazsh is so damn good.

Some people will maybe call it Witch House or something like Horror Beat but without putting into a new sub genre this stuff by Salem is pretty thought thru, i’m really impressed on how fresh, dark and big it is and how no one has done this.

Teen Daze has done it again by holding down some kind of coastal dream pop sound that is full of lush synth work, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

I found The Bridal Shop by trying to find a Tough Alliance song that I wanted but no luck, I love when a good digital retailer sets up trails that makes you check out 10 or so new bands.

Ariel Pink steps it up like The Horrors did in this new driving direction, with huge praise from Pitchfork, this record will end up on a ton of Top Ten album lists. What I really like is the extras going on in the song, if it was straight forward I wouldn’t of shared this song with you, I would of just post some Joy Division.

More dreamy echoed out goodness, I just think this sound will be something i’ll always like, I guess I can blame growing up listening to a certain few spaced out tracks for that.

One of the nicest vinyl i’ve ever held in my hand that I can remember was Vincent Gallo’s When, just a really proper piece that spewed out care. When it gets too hot this summer slow down and throw on this song, its pretty special and the heat and sound go hand in hand.

Stars are back and this track has a lot of life, it touches on some elements that people might like if your a M83 or Jonsi fan because of the anxiety it builds but releases gently.

One artist i’m looking forward to seeing live this summer is Active Child, he has a impressive voice with a unique delivery with lyrics. The electronics seem to be all over yet focused on melody and supporting his singing style.

I feel like there will be a good amount of music like The Late Virginia Summers in the future coming from 16-18 year olds, I hear a ton of good demos like this. That mixture of post rock and upfront electronics delivered in a somber way, I feel like this movement is something The Album Leaf created.

This is a 30 second preview of each song on the upcoming School Of Seven Bells album called Disconnect From Desire. The album will be available July 13th, i’ll be posting full songs on the blog whenever I get them. The graphic above is a collection of icons that are being used for the record, each song on the album has its own icon which is pretty nice especially if you buy their merch piece which include a deck of tarot cards with each icon is on a different card, sounds like a tasty deluxe edition.

ISO50: Your new album Maniac Meat has some balls to it, i’m definitely a fan. What made you go gradually harsher and expand your sound from previous albums and projects?
TOBACCO: That’s been in there for awhile, but i used to care about not freaking people out too badly. i think sometime last year while i was on tour with black moth, i realized i was tired of all the safe music i had written for that band, and how much fun i could be having just letting all the wild shit out instead of suppressing it.

ISO50: I remember when I heard your project Black Moth Super Rainbow for the first time at the Ghostly office years ago and “I Think It Is Beautiful That You Are 256 Colors Too” came on I knew I was going to enjoy the record, is this a sound that you’ve wanted to make since you were younger? any nostalgia tied to it? if so is there a story you can share?
TOBACCO: I feel now like all that old stuff was all i could do at the time. so i can’t say i was ever striving to make music like that, but more like that music was striving for something more. i made that song so long ago that the only real memory i have of it was it was my first or 2nd song completely made on a sampler. that was definitely a fun time.

ISO50: I always wanted to let you know that you have great track names (Sweatmother, Hairy Candy, New Juices From The Hot Tub Freaks, etc) compared to most musicians, anyone help you with those? how do they come about?
TOBACCO: Especially with this record, i came up with most of them while running to the songs at the gym or around my neighborhood. i’m usually just trying to describe the way they sound to me, rather than what they might be about – which is usually nothing too concrete to begin with.

ISO50: How did the Beck collab happen? since you went so big is there another artist you’d want to work with in the future?
TOBACCO: We asked and beck was awesome enough to say yes. it all just happened through email. you know it’s hard to say now because all 2 people on my list have been checked off, but i think at this point it would be awesome to start a band with someone like beck or aesop and really get in there and see what we could do. i’m remaking someone’s record this summer and that’ll end up being the biggest collaborative effort i’ve ever been involved with, so i’m pretty invested in that. it’s someone i never would have predicted working with, and that kind of stuff can be even crazier because it twists you in ways you weren’t expecting to go.

ISO50: For Maniac Meat, do you have a full band live? hows that setup? do you bring any synths with you?
TOBACCO: It’s always 2 of us, sometimes 3. it can be anything from a weird dj/vj show to a minimal band with a sequenced beat, depending on who’s there. on the september tour, we’re gonna try something new and have more people involved for a few songs. we do bring 1 synth around with us.

ISO50: Who does your album covers?
TOBACCO: I’ve done all the album covers. for me, that’s just as important as what’s inside.

ISO50: Something your fans might not know about you?
TOBACCO: I don’t like most of the music i get lumped in with. if you give me your cd and tell me it’s all vocoder and synths, i might not listen to it, but if you tell me you sound like Scott Weiland I might be down!

ISO50: Dream gig (location, mood, show opener or closer)?
TOBACCO: I dream of the day live shows become all digital like everything else, and we can stay at home, and just be projected like a hologram or something.

ISO50: Do you collect anything?
TOBACCO: Madballs. there are only like 12 of them, so if you space it out, it’s the most eco thing you can get into collecting.

ISO50: Favorite new band you’ve heard?
TOBACCO: He’s not a band, but Serengeti is the man

ISO50: If you weren’t working with music, where would you work?
TOBACCO: Any pizza shop

ISO50: Share a childhood memory that might relate to your music?
TOBACCO: Baby stinky was a gross baby puppet that this f*ckjob at the flea market was selling, and i wasn’t allowed to have it because it was too sick. for all these years, i put it up on a pedestal of being the ultimate taboo toy that i could never have because it was way too disturbing for my family back in 1992. i finally found an original one a few years back at a costume store and it was definitely gross, but more awesome-gross than disturbing-gross. and that’s because it was from that time. i think that kind of describes some of my musical ideas, or my album covers. yesterday’s sick shit that becomes today’s art. or something like art.

Today I find IDM being picked up where it left off but it can’t be called IDM ever again. Either way I can see indie rockers, pitchfork and many blogs loving this “new” sound.

Someone kindly suggested Com Truise the other day in a comment, man this stuff is soo soo good, instrumentally its super tasty like biting into a 7 layer cake made completely out of honey in slow motion.

This Emeralds track is epic and beautiful, I should of also posted its album cover, the under saturated VHS screenshot like photo is pretty nice.

When I first heard this Gold Panda intro I immediate thought it would draw the Passion Pit crowd but that reference is something that is more relevant to hip teens today. For the long time electronic fans that I think that will enjoy this are the ones that loved early Four Tet magically working with The Field, the samples have a happy tone plus there is more diversity in the back and forth the song offers in the sequencing.

JDSY’s track Lighter has hints of beauty sprinkled all thru the song, the backing for the intro are these shakey breathes, his singing might be the best from a post IDM’er plus the subject he’s singing about isn’t just stuff that makes people want to party but he actually has some substance , and the melody is made up of just oddball sounds that he puts to work and makes them sound great.

With festival season underway there are plenty of great live sets being recorded and sometimes you get the best of the best from artists like a continuous mix of their greatest hits. This Loscil set is one of the most soothing and enjoyable listens you can ask for. If you haven’t already you should pick up his classic album called First Narrows, not only is the artwork one of my top 5 favorite album covers but it also rides on most of the same tone as this live set is in.

DOWNLOAD THIS LIVE SET