Analogue Episode 2

Analogue Episode 2 from Analogue on Vimeo.

Analogue is proud to announce the launch of Analogue Episode 2, the second installment in a bi-monthly web series that brings together interviews, music videos, short documentaries and live performances. Following the successful release of Episode 1(Kronos Quartet, Patrick Kelleher, So Cow) in 2009, Analogue returns with a brand new episode featuring the dark electronica of Irish artist Angkorwat, a short mini documentary style piece on fishing in Ireland soundtracked by the brooding music of Irish electronic enigma Hunter-Gatherer and an interview with recent Matador Records signee, psychedelic rocker Kurt Vile.

With each episode Analogue aspires to use an innovative visual aesthetic to explore the diverse spectrum of music we love (from indie and folk to classical and electronic) from both local and international talents. Analogue’s aim is to break from the traditional approach to music television and starts afresh with a progressive format applying diverse cinematic techniques.

The Analogue web series is Directed by Graham Seely & Tim Gannon and produced by Brendan McGuirk.

“The Girl And The Robot” gets a video

The Girl And The Robot is without a doubt one of the stand-out tracks on Röyksopp’s latest LP Junior; it shouldn’t come as a surprise, then, that this will be their next single, available June 15th across the usual plethora of formats.

I have to admit, as someone that typically listens to music over lyrics (frequently to the point of not even remotely knowing what a song is about), I find that something about Robyn’s voice makes me aware of every word she sings, and this track is no different. It’s a fantastically fun and innocuous track about the trials and tribulations of being a 20-something Swedish pop star in love with a robot, with fake choral sounds and whirling synths layered over constant, compressed drums that remind me just a little of Boys Noize, only tamer.

Their video for the track has been floating around on Youtube for a while but it only came to my attention earlier today via Mixmag. It keeps the robot theme alive and well, with Robyn spending her days in a sort of The Jetsons-esque boudoir, idly watching TV, taking pregnancy tests and needlessly spilling drinks onto the floor while waiting for her horticulturalist robotic bf to come home from whatever futuristic synthetic farm he works in. Also watch out for the Röyksopp boys in the robot salesroom.

The Thermals - Now We Can See

Above is the video for the title track of the Thermals new album, Now We Can See. It’s out now on Kill Rock Stars. They’ll be playing the Academy in Dublin on the 19th of June, don’t miss them!

Brand new Camera Obscura video - French Navy

What a song, what a video! The combination of crooning heartbroken vocals and uplifting strings makes it a brilliantly addictive pop song to be reckoned with. ‘French Navy’ is out on April 13th on 7″, CD and as a download. Camera Obscura’s new album ‘My Maudlin Career’ is out a week later on the 20th of April. Camera Obscura play the Stiff Kitchen in Belfast on the 29th of April and Dublin’s Andrew’s Lane on the 30th of April.

Listen to the new album’s title track:

Deerhunter - White Ink

Deerhunter - White Ink from justin gaar on Vimeo.

Mudhoney - Here comes sickness

Rock.

TV On The Radio - Dancing Choose

TV On The Radio myspace.

Crystal Stilts - Converging in the Quiet

There are obvious comparisons that can be made here but what’s the point. Haunting dead pan vocals, a killer washed out riff, an unforgettable bassline and beats that wouldn’t be terribly out of place on a Neu! track - yes these guys are good. Crystal Stilts released their self titled Ep back in May on Woodsist and a full length called ‘Alight of Night’ on Slumberland in October. Both are deadly but I think I prefer the original cuts of the songs that appear on the Ep.

Art Rockin’ promoters Skinny Wolves have them over to play upstairs in Whelans on the 19th of February.

8 Easy Pieces

The pitched fork has pronged another prize with the fantastic documentary, Reformat the Planet on the emerging Chiptune scene. Chiptune (as distinct from 8bit music per say) has been around for about a decade, and is finally garnering some critical acclaim. Not content with inventing punk music, Malcolm McLaren hopped on the bandwagon early, writing an hilarious piece for Wired in 2003 claiming the birth of a new scene, ‘Chipmusic’. In the article McLaren is escorted my mysterious French underground electronic musicians to a dingy factory where credibility and curry powder mix in malodorous clouds, and odd young hips with blackened teeth play unironic retro-future music on outdated consoles and computers. Since those halcyon days chiptune has conspicuously failed to set the world alight - though it has had an ‘influence’ on mainstream hiphop and indie acts, on underground scenes like nerdcore and laterly on art and fashion [1] [2]; ultimately achieving the honour of being featured in the latest issue of Analogue. Reformat the Planet is only available for four more days, so check it out!

Update: For an Irish take on 8bit, check out the hyperkinetic 0010100, who mercifully avoid the europop chinz of much euro chiptune.

Update 2: If you’re in the UK or can get your clogs on and hop on a ferry, there’s a Chiptune Alliance tour on right now in Scotland and England, featuring some of the artists featured in Reformat the Planet including Anamanaguchi, Sabrepulse, and Random.

Gran Casino, Live in Concert

Analogue Presents - Gran Casino, Live in Concert from dbspin on Vimeo.

Without further ado, let me present the second in our two videos celebrating the launch of Analogue as a nationwide magazine. Gran Casino are a Dublin band that we haven’t written about before in the magazine, at least in part because their material is so difficult to describe. If Burt Bacharach wrote songs for Ian Brown they might sound a little like the melodic, unapologetically baroque, art rock made by Gran Casino. The band have recently released their first E.P, ‘Sun Music’, which is available for the very reasonable price of €7 at Tower Records, Road Records, The Secret Book and Record Store, and City Discs.

Gran Casino are…

Caimin Gilmore - Vocals, Guitar, Glockenspiel
Jimmer Reynolds - Drums, Percussion
Shane Sugrue - Keys, Vocals, Clarinet, Sitar
James O’ Connor - Bass, Synth
Kathy Looney - Violin
Julie Clarke - Violin
Sue Neary - Harp
Joe Mylo - French Horn
Kev Foran - Trumpet
Simon Wall - Tenor Sax/Flute
Chris Rooney - Trombone
Tim Harris - Flute

Recorded, Radio City Dublin, 06/06/08.
Camera: Dave Boyle
Editing: Gareth Stack & Dave Boyle.
All songs copyright Gran Casino, 2008.

Download

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