Tuesday, September 30, 2014 0 Engineers

Album: Various Artists - Blood Mixtape (Robotic Empire)


Band: Various Artists
Album: Blood Mixtape
Label: Robotic Empire
Year: 2014








Tracklist
01. Torche - Andy Low *
02. Passing Phases - In The Dark, In The Fire *
03. The Ar-Kaics - No, No, No
04. Tideland - Let Me In *
05. Big No - Turn It On *
06. Taiga - Excelsius *
07. Tilts - Thomas Jefferson II
08. Gull - Susquehannd (Cut) *
09. Christian Blunda - Faraway *
10. Hollow Sunshine - Stay Down
11. Big Hush - Wholes *
12. Snacktruck - Miracle Ball *
13. Wrong - Call It *
14. Decades/Failures - Blank Clocks *
15. Jaye Jayle - Space Girl *
16. Alpaca - Dark Lands
17. Society - Sympathised
18. Mustard Gas And Roses - The Hard Road *
19. Some Stranger - Cosmic Dust (Call 911)) *
20. Hell Night - Black Hornet
21. Chris Taylor - Train of Thought *
22. Crooked Son - Hum *
23. Medusa - Crack & Bleed
24. Nicholas Sadler - You Don't Know Where You Are Anymore
25. Idolands - Back Pocket *
26. Ancient Sky - Mistakes *
27. Light Yourself On Fire - Get Got *
28. A Storm Of Light - Effigy *
29. Howling Void - The Moaning Ache of a Time on the Edge of Collapse *
30. Pygmy Lush - Serve the Servants (Acoustic Demo) *
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* denotes previously unreleased

Robotic Empire continues their 15th year celebration with a 30 track free collection of brand new, rare and/or previously unreleased material spanning the vast alumni of artists the independent label has worked with over the years.

Founded in 1999 under then-moniker Robodog Records, the label changed names 3 years later to Robotic Empire, exploring a wide range of genres and formats over 100+ releases. The longrunning independent label has carved out a reputation as one to push the envelope and a multitude of genres to new limits.

With this 15-year-celebratory free digital compilation simply titled "Blood", a significant amount of the Robotic Empire's illustrious musicians are represented through their current, side and solo projects.

With contributions from repeat offenders Torche, Tilts, Pygmylush, Hollow Sunshine, Tideland and Alpaca, this sampler also spotlights a swath of new material from members of historic Robo bands Pg.99, Daughters, Isis, Capsule, Red Sparowes, Crestfallen, Young Widows, Stop It!!, Dial, Ultra Dolphins, A Storm Of Light, Verse En Coma and many more.

The lead track from 10-year label veterans Torche is oddly-enough named after Robotic Empire label owner, Andy Low. When asked further about the song, Torche vocalist/guitarist Steve Brooks commented:

"This is a lost track we recorded for the "Songs for Singles" record in 2010. We weren't completely satisfied with how it turned out and planned on rewriting it one day. One of the riffs got used in "Letting Go" (Harmonicraft). It's a tune I kinda forgot about until Andy Low (pack rat) sent us a copy asking if we'd be into having this on his new comp. Sure, why not? If it wasn't for Mr Low, Rick and I wouldn't have met, Torche might not have existed and who knows where we'd all be today? We decided to call the song "Andy Low" to make him uncomfortable/feel strange about his name as a song title AND because we love the hell out of him. "Andy Low" is for our boy Andy Low/Robodog/Robotic Empire Records. Enjoy!"

Quote label founder Andy Low in reaction to assembling this release:

"I'm truly humbled and fairly weirded-out to have a song named after me. But far more importantly, I'm blown away by the sheer talent that surrounds this free 'mixtape' release. Every song included amazes me in some manner, and the culmination of all this material yields the same kind of excitement I felt on the cusp of releasing our most influential records through the label's history.

If you can, please take the time to check out the full release, especially the songs by bands you haven't heard before. It was sequenced with a classic mixtape feel in mind, and set to flow as best possible with such a wide variety of material! With two tracks for each year of the label's existence, there is a plethora of great new tunes lurking in here, which I hope you'll find and enjoy.

A genuine and hearty thank you is due to every artist who is a part of this, it means the world to be celebrating 15 years as a label with such amazing musicians, and their projects past, present and future!" 

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Monday, September 29, 2014 0 Engineers

Band: Last Builders Of Empire


Band: Last Builders Of Empire
Album: Post-War
Label: Self Released
Year: 2014








Tracklist
I - Inferno
01. Aether
02. Quiet Like A Knife
03. This Tired Wasteland
04. Pyre (Where There's Nothing Else Left)
II - Purgatorio
05. While I Lay
06. Huida Hacia el Sol
07. Three Fatal Sparks Have Set The Hearts Of All On Fire
III - Paradiso
08. All Is Good
09. For Those That Have Faith
Streaming


Band: Last Builders Of Empire
Album: Without Remorse
Label: Self Released
Year: 2012







Tracklist
01. Our Gods Are Made On Earth
02. Without Remorse
03. The Withered Are Serene
04. The Sun Never Sets
05. Hibakusha 
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Last Builders Of Empire was born from tireless searches on Craigslist for like-minded musicians interested in experimenting with song structures, time signatures, and sonic textures. Drummer Rich Reed and guitarist Dan Mandino came together in 2010 to form Last Builders Of Empire, which quickly recruited bassist Pat Horrigan and, in 2011, guitarist Jesse Danger. Each track is the result of an organic and collaborative effort, allowingLast Builders Of Empire’s music to stretch well beyond formulaic rock. As a result, mood, atmosphere, themes, and concepts are more fully explored and delivered.

Their first album, Without Remorse, was released in January 2012 and grapples with the selfishness of war that leaves nothing but loss and devastation in its wake. The concept carries throughout the album, inspiring the song titles, artwork, and aggressive sound. The closing song on the album, “Hibakusha”, is a Japanese term for the surviving victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings.

The band’s second album, Post-War, was in September of 2014. It was written as a continuation of the previous album, but moves toward the conclusion of war and continues to journey into the life (or death) thereafter. Inspired in part by a battlefield letter authored by a US Civil War soldier on his deathbed, and by Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy, Post-War is a struggle with loss on a personal and conceptual level. The album is arranged into three movements that follow the different stages of the afterlife. The nine tracks ebb and flow--ranging from sparse to lush, from explosive to serene, from wounded to euphoric. With reoccurring melodies and themes that grow and change throughout, the album has a cinematic quality to it and has its own story to tell.

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Sunday, September 28, 2014 0 Engineers

The Inquisition: 018.Almeeva


1. How did you came up with the name of the project?

I wanted a name that would sound mystical, indian and feminine at the same time. No reason in particular, I just wanted to capture that mood. So I just dribbled some word combinations on paper, and my favorite one was "Almeeva". Turns out it's a real name in some countries of the world. One time, a friend of mine said it sounded like a skin-cream brand : I have to admit he's right, haha.

2. Do you have a standard procedure of creating a song? Do you just jam around or is there a main riff and the track is build up on it?

I used to have some kind of formula for the 2 first EP's, which was improvising over a simple loop, keeping the best bits and building a track with these pieces. But now I have just one simple rule : everything can become anything, as long as it sounds good / better. It's a much longer process, but the results are far more interesting, because you can surprise yourself. A track like "Soviet Superstructures" has 5 different versions, and there's no way you can recognize version 1 in version 5.

3. What are your influences and what kind of music do you hear when you are at home?

I try not to think of "influences", because there's no point in imitating. What I try to do is capture things I "receive" from life in general, and make songs out of it. It can be really simple things, or complex contradictions. As long as it speaks to me, I will try to make something out of it.
But I listen to a LOT of different stuff, and I guess that diversity also inspires me. Right now I'm keen on Childish Gambino, FKA Twigs, Daniel Avery, Sia, Downliners Sekt, Jon Hopkins, Kanye West and Phil Collins (without any form of irony).

4. Which is the one album you can't live without?

This will definitely change at some point, but right now I'd say "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix" by Phoenix.
Still discovering new things about this record 5 years after it's release. It's a masterpiece in so many ways, and it carries an ideal : that music can be equally about pleasure and artistic vision, still appeal to masses and change the world.

5. What's the first record you've ever bought ?

Not 100% sure, but probably Genesis "And Then They Were Three". Or another Genesis album. It's a Genesis record anyway.

6. Name a band that you would like to share the stage or tour with ?

Mount Kimbie : they're the best live electronic act I've ever seen. They're everything a live electronic band should be.

7. Did the internet and specially the blogs helped to spread your music around the world? Name a place (country) that you were surprised to know your music has reached to?

Of course. There's actually no alternative for people like me right now. It's always a great surprise to see people from far away connecting with your music. Although it's hard to know if it's a real signal of something happening over there, or just a small group of people. The net tend to overgrow theses things, we all get too excited compared to real life. One time I had a tape order from Japan. I thought "well, that guy must be REALLY into it to take a chance on the french postal service !"

8. Do you support the idea of bandcamp where fans can decide the price or services like spotify?

I only had good experiences with the "pay-what-you-want" method, so yes totally.
What matters to me in the first place is to get my music heard. I know I'm not gonna get millions out of it, so I prefer to gain more listeners than money.

9. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

I hope I'll still be alive and making music, and having more time to do it.

10. Is the artwork of an album important nowadays in the digital era?

I don't know if it's as important as before, but it still remains crucial all the ways. This is what listeners are going to have in mind when they listen to your tracks, so better lead them in the right direction, your direction.

11. What is you favorite album cover?

Hard to pick one… I really like "Ignoto" by Yourcodenameis:milo. It has this great strange atmosphere, where your can pick many signs and symbols. It messes a lot with your mind. Esthetically, it's a very straight-forward and sharp photography, which makes it timeless.


It could have been an old Pink Floyd record, or it could be the new indie band of the moment.

12. It seems that a lot of people are turning on vinyl again. Why do you think that is and which is your preferable media format?

I think one of the reasons people are buying vinyl again is owning something big enough to feel "real" in your hands. It makes records more "valuable", like an artifact. CD is too small to feel that way, so why not take the bigger size ? Sound quality also comes in the equation, but I honestly think most people don't get to hear the difference, because not everyone has a decent sound system at home.
To me, the format depends on the use : I'll buy some records on vinyl, because I know I'll be able to share them with friends at parties ; I'll buy some other records on digital, because I want to listen to them on my own, on all my devices. It's a combination of the 2 for me, depending on the music involved.

13. What's the most vivid story or moment as a band?

Playing with Bernard Szajner and YRO at Workshop Infiné 2013, at La Carrière du Normandoux.
It was a mix of intense focus, and intense attention from the audience, blended in a dream landscape.


Almeeva recently released their new EP "Anamorphic" on Infine Music.

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Tuesday, September 23, 2014 0 Engineers

EP: Kiss Me Sunset - Moonshine Bowling


Band: Kiss Me Sunset
Album: Moonshine Bowling EP
Label: Self Released
Year: 2014








Tracklist
01. A Desert Made Of Fur
02. At The Purple
03. Déjà Vu
04. Sweet Blueberry Root / Celebrate
Download

Kiss Me Sunset is a trio made up of neo-psychedelic Montreal musicians Bernard Lafontaine, Frédéric Lapointe and Martin Ferguson. Following various musical projects of compositional work focusing mainly on the studio, the three musicians decided to create together around improvisation sessions, relying on simplicity, chance and the energy of the music. This lead, in 2013, to a sound that characterizes them and to the creation of Kiss Me Sunset.

The sound of Kiss Me Sunset is defined by a strong rhythmic foundation, marked by an hypnotic cadence. Arrangements, reminiscent of the 60s/70s rock and it’s psychedelia, are not confined only to that label: the group easily works outside the box and it’s instrumentation has no real limit, sometimes getting away from its purely rock sound for a more textured one. The vocal melodies, in turn, may fuse with the music, other times just brush with it, giving depth and liveliness to more fleeting and contemplative harmonies.

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0 Engineers

Video: Restorations - Seperate Songs


Tuesday, September 16, 2014 0 Engineers

Video: M83 - In The Cold I'm Standing


Saturday, September 13, 2014 0 Engineers

Video: Gates - Not My Blood


Friday, September 12, 2014 0 Engineers

EP: Irreversible - Surface


Band: Irreversible
Album: Surface EP
Label: Self Released
Year: 2014








Tracklist
01. Degloving Injury
02. Side Effects Of Living
03. (Husk) Corpse Pose
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Irreversible is a post-metal/sludge band from Atlanta, USA.

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Tuesday, September 09, 2014 0 Engineers

EP: Our Friend, Surrender - The Empty Quarter


Band: Our Friend, Surrender
Album: The Empty Quarter EP
Label: Self Released
Year: 2013








Tracklist
01. Polaris
02. The Empty Quarter
03. A Never Setting Sun
Download

Our Friend, Surrender is a two man project spread across the US. Originally intended as nothing more then a jam session between friends, both found common ground in their love of post rock. Pursuing the goal of creating beautiful and interesting music that they wanted to hear, Our Friend, Surrender was born. Their debut album ‘The Deceiver & The Chariot’ was recorded and released in July of 2011.

Available on their bandcamp are also 2 tracks from their upcoming LP, "North Brother Island".

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Video: Upcdownc - The Black Sea


Sunday, September 07, 2014 0 Engineers

EP: Schematics For Gravity - Absence Of Weight


Band: Schematics For Gravity
Album: Absence Of Weight
Label: Self Released
Year: 2014








Tracklist
01.The Moment Of Transition
02.The Prospect Of Vanishing
03.State Of Nothing
04.Absence Of Weight
05.Stargazer
06.Turning Into Dust
Streaming | Spotify

Schematics For Gravity is a post-rock/metal band from Malmö, Sweden, formed by Chris Campbell and Anders Lundgren in early 2010 as a hardcore/metal band. The musical direction changed quickly as drummer Pontus Landgren joined the group and as they got their eyes open for a more atmospheric and post-rock influenced approach to their once very clear metal foundation. The band stayed underground for a longer period of time during their early days experimenting with sounds, influences and members. 

When Martin Nilsson joined on guitar, the band finally had a steady line-up instrumentally and got booked for their first gig. A week before the concert the band still hadn’t found any vocalist, Pontus contacted Erik Silverberg, a member from previous bands and projects who agreed to help the band out until a steady vocalist was found to take his place, but later on decided to stay as a permanent member. 

The current line-up made their first appearance in December 2010 in Malmö Sweden under a different name. After a few gigs to try out their style Schematics For Gravity got the confidence to record and release their first self titled EP for download at Christmas 2011 through their bandcamp-site.

On August 2014 Schematics For Gravity released their second EP, "Absence Of Weight", another solid EP, that makes you wonder why this band is so unappreciated. Pure, raw post-metal vocals and post-rock melodies, that take you a few years back, when every post-metal release could excite you for weeks. In the end, "Absence Of Weight", is one of the best 2014 releases so far.

For fans of Rosetta.

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Friday, September 05, 2014 0 Engineers

Single: Aerials - Symptoms


Band: Aerials
Album: Symptoms (Single)
Label: Self Released
Year: 2014








Tracklist
01. Symptoms
02. Firefights (sleepmakeswaves Remix)
Download

Hailing from a city in which indie popsters make all the rules, Aerials are breaking the mold to carve a place all of their own. The reputation of these three Brisbane natives has built fast on the back of a live show that is a blistering reminder that rock is still alive in this country, albeit just. 

Receiving nods from Triple J Unearthed, RAGE and Channel V, the band wasted no time in hitting the stage with acts such as Calling All Cars, Closure in Moscow and The Red Paintings. Aerials’ debut EP dropped on 1 May 2013, supported by a massive run of sweaty shows all the way from Cairns to Adelaide. 

With Forrester Savell (Dead Letter Circus, Karnivool) manning the desk, lead single ‘Firefights’ is a rock anthem in rave territory as M83-inspired falsettos float over Depeche Mode-esque synth stabs. The EP has also earned them a Highly Commended award from QMusic and a performance on Bigsound 2013. 

The band has spent the early months of 2014 hauled up in their rehearsal studio working hard on the next release. Stop reading. Start Listening.

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Thursday, September 04, 2014 0 Engineers

Video: Mt.Mountain - She Runs



WARNING: This video contain strobe light and imagery that may be harmful to some viewers.
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Video: Chelsea Wolfe - Kings


Monday, September 01, 2014 0 Engineers

Album: Adam Fielding - Pieces


Band: Adam Fielding
Album: Pieces
Label: Self Released
Year: 2014








Tracklist
01. A Call To Action
02. Everything Is Wide Open
03. What Of Our Hopes
04. Final Approach
05. While Stars Still Burn
06. And All Is Embers
07. Sleepless
08. An Uncertain Future
09. Will I See You Again
10. Sunset Radar
11. The Final Run
12. When All Is Said And Done
Download

Following directly on from both Icarus and his work for TV, film, and commercial use, Pieces is an exploration of Fielding's eclectic range of influences and inspirations. While maintaining a consistent aesthetic throughout, "Pieces" retains an incredibly earnest and varied impression of Fielding's writing & production styles, resulting in a collection of music that is as honest as it is diverse.

From the euphoric, post-rock tinged opening of “A Call To Action” through to the moody, introspective electronic workings of “Sleepless”, organic instrumentation combines with precise electronics to offer listeners a memorable melodic experience combined with lush atmospheric production on a truly epic scale.

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Video: Unknown Connection Failure - Live @ clubkinder Klanglabor


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