Territories: WORLD excluding Scandinavia

Indie Dance, Alternative, New Disco, Independent

TRACKLIST:
A1. Corridor Of Dreams feat. Systur (Sisy Ey) & Oilly Wallace
A2. Ugle (Drømmen Om Møn)
A3. So Much feat. Woolfy
A4. I Was There
A5. Tears We Haven’t Cried feat. Toby Ernest
A6. Save Me feat. Toby Ernest & Oilly Walace
B1. Conversations feat. Systur (Sisy Ey)
B2. Le Trois
B3. Love My Way feat. Jacob Bellens
B4. Club Paradisco
B5. Coming Home feat. Toby Ernest
B6. Reflector (Reprise)

SHORT INFO:
Just when you thought you had Kasper Bjørke figured out he comes back with another great musical surprise. His new album Puzzles, which will be released April 5th on hfn music, follows two recent collaborative EPs on Live at Robert Johnson and Mule Musiq as well as his second Kasper Bjørke Quartet neoclassical/ambient album Mother on Kompakt.
Puzzles is Kasper’s love letter to the sound of early 2000s New York - merged with his Scandinavian sense of producing songs that goes beyond conventional club music; combining disco tinged instrumentations mixed with elements of 80s funk, jazz and contemporary pop songwriting, creating something familiar yet, something very fresh and innovative at the same time.
The album includes collaborations with a wide range of musicians and vocalists. From California based indie-disco troubadour Woolfy (DFA, Rong, Permanent Vacation etc.) to the Icelandic dream-folk trio Systur aka Sísý Ey (who also featured on Kasper’s 2014 single Apart, where the Michael Mayer remix became a timeless club anthem), as well as other longtime collaborators and artist friends: Toby Ernest, Jacob Bellens, WhoMadeWho’s Tomas Høffding on bass, Posh Isolation affiliate Frederik Valentin on guitar and the young, rising jazz star Oilly Wallace on saxophone and flute. Essentially, the majority of Puzzles is played and recorded live, including the drums by Rasmus Littauer (School of X, MØ). Many of the songs emerged from chord progressions written during studio sessions between Kasper and Toby - which Kasper then produced into a colourful and effective album, rooted in an expressive live feeling far from programmed patterns.
Puzzles is a new step for Kasper as a producer and artist, showcasing his ability to move and flow freely between genres and expressions, however still deeply rooted in his love and affection for the classic disco groove - which is only natural after more than two decades as an active DJ.
Another piece has been added to the musical puzzle of Kasper Bjørke More

Territories: WORLD excluding Scandinavia

LP, Chrystal clear vinyl

GENRE/S: Alternative, Dream Pop, Indie Dance, Independent

TRACKLIST:
A1. Two Hearts
A2. Midnight Fay
A3. Melting Point
A4. Secret Sharing
A5. Hungry Moon
B1. Lunar Lander
B2. Reclaim The Night
B3. Nightmares
B4. Spell
B5. Tall Ship

SHORT INFO:
Lisbet Fritze and Louise Foo have shared artistic trajectories for half of their lives, having been two thirds of pop noir purveyors Giana Factory. As Glas, the duo reveals a patchwork of everyday observations rooted in significant life changes: moving countries, becoming a mother, keeping sane with and without a significant other. The music conveys a quest for balance, riding the line between doomy drama and playing it cool.
Their 10 song, self-produced debut, Kisses Like Feathers, will be released, worldwide in March 2023, through Hamburg’s hfn music. All lyrics, vocals and instruments were performed by Glas, and recorded in their studio. The album was mixed by Anders Trentemøller, with artwork by Brunswicker studio
The Copenhagen-based duo have never been short on inspiration. Lisbet has lent her vocal and guitar talents to Trentemøller, in both the studio and on stage. Louise has explored immersive music with avant-pop project SØSTR, along with her sister, Sharin Foo of The Raveonettes. Lisbet’s other life involves architectural design. Louise works with sound installations in a visual arts context. The musical ideas of these two polymaths find coherence in the newly-formed Glas.
Kisses Like Feathers embody Nordic duality. Dark at times, it also presents with an open ethereality. Some songs feel tailor-made for a club’s sound system. Others lend themselves to intimate, headphone moments. While Lisbet and Louise’s harmonious vocal stack is the common thread throughout the album, the musical fabric is interlaced with acoustic, electric, and electronic instruments. Lo-fi piano and acoustic guitars share a reciprocal space with rich, synthetic orchestration. Galloping, modern rhythms and folk arrangements are often featured in the same song. These elements, and so many others, buttress the pair’s hymns.


More

Territories: WORLD excluding Scandinavia

Double-LP in gatefold sleeve, printed innersleeves

GENRE/S:
Electronica, Indie Dance, Dub, Techno

TRACKLIST:
A1. Impulse
A2. Atmospherics
A3. Metaphorically Speaking (feat. Agnes Aldén)
B1. Strata
B2. Megaparsec (feat. Indra-Rios Moore)
B3. CME
C1. Minds I (feat. Agnes Aldén)
C2. Told/Untold
D1. Subspace (feat. BYLJA)
D2. Universal Automation (feat. Janus Rasmussen)

SHORT INFO:
The composer behind one of the most sensational breakthroughs in Danish music invites you on a crackling, ever-changing and deeply personal journey. His third album Atmospherics drops after a decade in which Mike Sheridan has searched deeply to find and capture his inner sound.
Films, theatres and art museums have benefited from Mike Sheridan‘s sense of sound and melody for the past 10 years. An album has been a long time coming because, in the wake of his breakthrough at the age of 16, he needed to listen extra closely to his inner sounds.
With Atmospherics, he unfolds the music in a meeting between who he once was and who he is today.
Three years ago, he began to create what is now the album Atmospherics. The term refers to electrical disturbances in the atmosphere, such as during a thunderstorm, which can interact with and distort wireless signals. Here, the title refers to both the sound of the album itself, where computer collages, classical instruments crystal clear melodies and heavy rhythms collide, and to the electronic processing and reworking. But really, he thought it would be a quiet release, almost devoid of melodies. Themes and music slide in and out of each other on the album. There are moments of dub, techno, pop and modern compositional music.
There are sounds and beats that crackle, dissolve, replace each other, or connect with each other in new ways.In this way, Atmospherics can be listened to as a long exhalation from an artist who has dared to hold his breath longer than most.
Atmospherics features both Danish and international guests such as Agnes Aldén (a singer, songwriter and producer from Falun, Sweden), Indra Rios-Moore (a singer, songwriter and arranger, from the Lower East Side of Manhattan), BYLJA and Janus Rasmussen - as well as a host of Sheridan‘s regular musicians.
The artwork for Atmospherics is created by visual artist Nicolai Howalt.

Media:
- A gem of an album. Dub, techno, pop, classical, ambient? No idea what this is exactly, but it doesn't matter because it sounds great.(Faze, Review, 9/10)
- Get ready for a sonic experience that is both electrifying and thought-provoking (808 Blog)
- A fine album (Luminous Dash)
- The composer behind one of the most sensational breakthroughs in Danish music invites you on a crackling, ever-changing and deeply personal journey (Dubiks)
- On his third album, Mike Sheridan wades deep through dystopian, ominous, melancholic sound sculptures between dub, techno, ambient, downtempo and cinemascope walls (Doppelpunkt)
- Full page feature in Faze Magazine 12/2023 (GER)
- Interview in Magnetic Magazine (UK/ES)
- Interview in 15 Questions (UK)
- Feature in WRSZW (JP)

- more interviews & features confirmed for C-Heads, Beatburger, 808 Blog, Tunes & Wings (GER)
- Reviews & News: DJ Mag Spain , 808 Blog (MX), Faze (GER), Luminous Dash (BE), Doppelpunkt (GER), Gaffa (DK), Dubiks (UK), WRSZW (JP), Soundvenue (DK), Moarr (HUN), Niche Music (JP)
- more reviews confirmed for Tunes & Wings (GER), Gonzo Circus (BE), Electronic Sound (UK), Beat (GER), Ban ban Ton Ton (KP), The Alternative 9 (UK), Different Grooves (IT)

More quotes:
“Hypnotizing, enchanting!” Fritz Radio (GER)
“As excellent as expected!!” Ibiza Sonica (ES)
“Lovely release – supporting!” Berlin-Brighton (UK)
“Like the immersive and mood laden vibe.” CHRY (CN)
“Tsugi Radio loves it!” Tsugi Radio (FR)
“A beautiful universe… great song!” Galaxie Radio (BE)
“Sultry, syrupy, stringy..” CIUT (CN)
“Good tracks, thanks.” Magazine Sixty (UK)
“Subspace is top!” Como Las Grecas (ES)
“Great deep tunes!” Kiss FM (AUS)
“Deep into the embers…” CIUT (CN)
“Awesome slice of downbeat with Minds I!” RDU (NZ)
“Mysterious and nice tracks.” Radio Carcoma (ES)
“Very interesting!” Radio Círculo (ES)
“Minds I is really nice 4 me.” Balearic Radio (ES)
“Nice one!” ByteFM (GER)
“Great!” Best Radio (GR)
“Lovely all the way!” Bruzz FM (BE)
“Great album!” Kiss FM (AUS)
“Very atmospheric soundscapes...heavy stuff.” Doppelpunkt (GER)
“Some nice downtempo sounds. Really like the title track and Megaparsec.” KBOO (USA)
“Atmospheric and abyssal experience. Great sonic adventure.” Radio Panik (BE)
“The chilled CME for me thx.” Radio Raheem (IT)
“Groovy and interesting!” Sveriges Radio P2 (SE)
“A stunning journey! Full of feeling and variety.” The Alternative 9 (UK)
“Dark and slow. Never boring.“ Radio Círculo Madrid (ES)
“Nice release – supporting!” Radio 1BTN (UK)
“Excellent! I can catch a bit of a DepecheMode vibe here.” Ibiza Global Radio (ES)
"This what is sounds like when machines cry. On air support." WEFT (USA)

More

Territories: WORLD excluding Scandinavia

LP, download code

TRACKLIST:
A1. It Ain’t No Wonder
A2. Glad You Came
A3. Not As Manic As I Used To Be
A4. Want What I Can’t Have
A5. Ride My Wave
B1. I Can’t Live My Life Like This
B2. Doing Fine feat. M.I.L.K.
B3. Nothing Comes Easy
B4. Stardust

SHORT INFO:
Jacob Bellens’ new solo Off My Meds took shape over two turbulent years in Jacob’s life. Several major life events happened back to back in a very short time, and it ended up breaking him down to a point of total exhaustion. The energy needed to uphold the outer self we all need to function was no longer there, and his inner actual beliefs and values began to show themselves one by one, which was not pretty to look at. Change was inevitable, simply because the price of not changing would be much higher in the long term.
The album is a pop-poem about accepting the premise of the life given to you. It is an ode to the perils of modern existence and our birthgiven right to love, laugh and cry, whatever hand we may have been dealt to begin with. Lyrically it is centered around self care and the courage to love someone and be loved in return. About taking responsibility for everything in your life instead of using your life history as an excuse for not living, no matter how tragic or unique your situation might be or seem to yourself.
Musically it draws upon an eclectic mix of influences and genres, while still maintaining a distinct underlying red thread throughout the album. It is a melancholic funk hybrid with a positive DNA, and though it sounds like pop music in the best sense of the word, it doesn’t quite look and feel like pop music. It is rather a collection of sounds and feelings put into words that are deeply personal - but personal for all.

More

Territories: WORLD excluding Scandinavia, Germany/Austria

LP, download code

Tracklist:
A1. Isola
A2. Glassy
A3. Baybi
A4. Running
A5. Kites
A6. Bon Voyage
A7. Biarritz
B1. Palace
B2. Sommervej
B3. Grace
B4. Mirage
B5. RDVSpecial
B6. Viewwws

Release Info:
Sprinkles sounds like a utopian postcard - sent from the past and with hopes for the future.
Recorded and produced on his laptop, while spending extensive periods of time in a cabin by the beach in a remote part of Denmark, Kasper Bjørke draws on what currently feels like distant memories; experiences of energy and euphoria from club the countless DJ gigs around the world, during his career which spans over two decades. Rooted in a colorful sound - filled with light and warmth - the balearic vibes and dream house grooves merge with synth choirs, guitars, fretless and acid bass lines and intertwine playfully into a sonic stream of consciousness; a mirage of the past and what will be.
Visual artist Luca Bjørnsten´’s mesmerizing work “Sprinkles”, picturing an empty, lush and colorful garden with a large, romantic fountain perfectly embodies the surreal scenario that we have all become much too familiar with. The 13 track instrumental album follows a string of singles this spring and summer and is as a breath of fresh air and a much needed, warm ray of sunshine.

More

Territories: WORLD excluding Scandinavia, Germany/Austria, Japan

LP, download code, 60x60 full colour poster

Tracklist:
A1. Amandas Lullaby
A2. Nevada (feat. Eivør)
A3. Diamond Breeze
A4. Labyrinth Faced Man
A5. Emma Spins
A6. Someone We Used To Love
A7. LSD Heart
B1. Guilty (Kill Me)
B2. The Gadget Song
B3. Amandas Dream
B4. Go Slow But Go
B5. Heavier in Life (feat. Lasse Ziegler)
B6. If You Want Capacity
B7. Hotel Ads

Release Info:
Lydmor's new album 'Capacity' is a musical maze full of alluring mysteries. At the same time, it is part of a process of liberation, which is about opening oneself up and discovering one's capacity. For her previous album, Lydmor travelled to Shanghai. But on her new album, Lydmor has mostly travelled deep into herself. 'Capacity' is a contrasting musical work where fiction and reality merge into a multifaceted sound universe. It is the electronic pop artist's most personal, complex and conceptual album to date. There is almost a David Lynch'ish cut about 'Capacity'. The album is like a winding maze where it is difficult to decipher what is real and what is an illusion. Like a book with countless narratives. Without conclusions. Ambiguous. Full of alluring mysteries, dreams, reflections and messages about gender, identity, love, guilt and liberation. Rich in contrasts: Black/white. Silence/noise. Weakness/strength. Fiction/reality. Labyrinth/compass.
Multiple media has compared the quirky voice to the likes of Grimes, Kate Bush or Björk but inevitably the comparisons fall short. (Kaltblut Magazine) - With brutal honesty, unbelievable vulnerability and yet dreamy, she sings the soul out in her pulsating electronic pop songs. The soft, bright voice is deceptive. Denmark's "hidden gem" is a must-listen. (Flux FM) - She is every bit as innovative as Madonna ever was when she started out. Lydmor ticks all the boxes; the girl has everything. For my money she’s the most ground-breaking, inventive artist in Europe right now, possibly in the world. (God Is In The TV, UK) - A unique artist who somehow manages to combine sophisticated and subtle balladry with strident electronic pop, I’ve declared previously that I believe she is only one step away from becoming a big name. Perhaps the feelings are supposed to be mutually inclusive, as the song swings musically from simply cold to complexly hot. It is one that does try to combine both sides of her song writing persona, the introverted balladry and the more elaborate, extrovert electro-pop. (Nordic Music Review) - Revolting pop pathos, primed with pumped up beats. (Negative White, Switzerland)
More

Territories: WORLD excluding Scandinavia, Germany/Austria

LP, download code, printed innersleeve

Tracklist:
A1. Enterprise
A2. Summer Sadness
A3. Bread and Butter
A4. I Want You
A5. Daylight
B1. Sun Has Gone
B2. Heavy Duty
B3. Till The Walls Come Down Around Us
B4. Electric Tension

Release Info:
Entitled ‘My Heart Is Hungry And The Days Go By So Quickly’ Danish singer and songwriter Jacob Bellens presents his fifth solo album. Thanks to his unique voice and his talent for heartfelt melodies, over the years Jacob, also known as frontman of I Got You On Tape and Murder, has become one of the most distinctive figures on the Scandinavian music scene. Slightly darker in tone than its predecessors ‘Trail Of Intuition’ (2018) or ‘Polyester Skin’ (2016), the new album lets us see the world through Jacob’s eyes.
Somewhere between left-field pop and a classical singer/songwriter approach, the songs were recorded in two sessions with producer Mads Brinch, drummer Tobias Laust, bass player Jonas Westergaard, keyboardist Malthe Rostrup and guitarist Tobias Fuglsang. “So many good friends and amazing instrumentalists have contributed to the sound“, explained Jacob. “And mostly, people were playing what they felt the song needed, which was an incredibly inspiring way of just letting the process develop naturally, and take on a life of its own.” As such, the recordings give off a distinct light-footed and organic feel. Rich in metaphors, the lyrics deal with personal perceptions based on everyday life occurrences that at the same time hint at the meaning of life in general - or at least suggest a higher perspective. The sonical expression is timeless but also modernistic and the lyrical point of view is refreshingly diverse, never just black or white. The sad songs have uplifting, often surreal qualities, and the lighter, uptempo songs also invite to a certain darkness. A flower basket full of difficult emotions, sprinkled with magical fairy dust that somehow makes everything worthwhile.


More

Territories: WORLD excluding Scandinavia, Germany/Austria

LP + download code

Tracklist:
A1. Here
A2. Feather
A3. Vanishing Point
A4. Staring At The Sun (Album Version)
A5. Diamond Dust
A6. Monolith
B1. First, Everything
B2. Hanami
B3. Carvings
B4. Ephemeral Objects
B5. Golden Hour
B6. Mojave Booth

Release Info
Comprising producer-engineer Joel Krozer ((Clark (Warp), Smerz (XL Recordings), When Saints Go Machine (Escho)) and Brian Della Valle (singer-songwriter of Of The Valley) the Copenhagen based duo got together when Joel heard Brian recording in the studio below his. Their encounter led to a series of late-night recording sessions, together with collaborator Søren Holme, that quickly became the cornerstone of their partnership and the formation of Fluqx. Monolith is the exceptional debut album of Fluqx and offers state of the art production and highly creative Electronica tracks with that special something. The sound of Fluqx is distinct - a merging of deeply warped synthesizers, swirling textures and Brian’s affecting vocals. There is a versatile range of sounds and atmospheres across these twelve tracks - from the delicate arpeggios of ‘Carvings’ and ‘Ephemeral Objects’, to the massive drum sounds and cutting synth leads of ‘Monolith’ and ‘Hanami’. Della Valle’s warm falsetto navigates through this dynamic landscape with ease and hooks the listener in on tracks like ‘Feather’ and ‘Staring At The Sun’, whilst providing space to breathe on tracks like ‘Here‘ and ‘Golden Hour‘. Elsewhere, ambient, droney textures are at the forefront on ‘Mojave Booth’ and ‘Diamond Dust’, maintaining the dreamy, otherworldly nature of the Fluqx sound.




More

WORLD EXCL SCANDINAVIA; 10” colored white vinyl, limited edition

Tracklist:
A. Lovable (Trentemøller Remix)
B. Lovable (Trentemøller Remix Instrumental)

Release Info:
A new release this winter marks a landmark moment in an important musical story. Way back in little 2009, the label hfn music was born in Hamburg, and made its introduction to the world with the release of the Trentemøller compilation Harbour Boat Trips: 01 Copenhagen.
Founder Tobias Lampe wanted to start a label that was more broad in scope than his previous, more electronic-focused projects, and the compilation provided the perfect opportunity to launch one. In the 10 years since then, the label has survived the whirlpool waters of the early 21st century’s constantly changing music industry, and released everything from pop to art-punk, with artists ranging from New York to the Faroe Islands.
Now, they’re about to put out their 100th release. Fittingly, given the label’s focus on new and innovative music, and the historic aspect of the release, hfn100 sees one of hfn’s best songs of 2019 put into the hands of the man it all started with, Anders Trentemøller. His Danish compatriots Blaue Blume’s new album Bell Of Wool is one of hfn’s standout releases this year, and so hfn100 sees Trentemøller remix one of that record’s standout tracks, the fragile, but soaring “Lovable”.
In Blaue Blume’s original, “Lovable” is an airy, tormented song, a gossamer-delicate composition that carefully stitches together layers and layers of shining synths that gradually build up and up into a peak, before crashing into a subtle beat, a musical journey that mirrors vocalist Jonas Smith’s trip from anguish to numbness. Whereas the original’s music sounds woven together from light, Trentemøller takes it into darker territory. He hooks the song to a harsh, sparse beat leaving Smith’s vocals bare and isolated in the burnt-out, dystopic musical landscape he creates.
Trentemøller mirrors the original’s careful building up, adding new elements to fill in the song’s sound, before it collapses into a tough, noir disco groove. It’s a perfectly realised remix – Trentemøller keeps the original song’s skeleton and soul, but fills in the space with sonic touches that could be no one else’s but his.Ultimately, it’s a fitting song for hfn’s hundredth release. For a label that’s always been a platform for its boundary-pushing artists, a collaboration between two of them, that sees an already innovative song pushed into a bold new shape is the perfect way for hfn to step into the next 100 releases..
More

Territories: WORLD excluding Scandinavia, Germany/Austria

LP + colored clear orange vinyl + download code

Tracklist:
A1. Water (feat. Toby Ernest)
A2. Seabird (feat. Christian d’Or & Toby Ernest)
A3. Du Du Du (feat. Tomas Høffding)
A4. Nothing Gold Can Stay (feat. Justin Strauss)
B1. Venetian Blinds
B2. Dreamers (A Tribute to Laurie)
B3. Oceans of Time

Release Info:
After a three year absence, Kasper Bjørke returns to hfn music with a sublime new double EP entitled
“Nothing Gold Can Stay”. Having followed a deeply personal ambient music path that last year led to
the release of “Kasper Bjørke Quartet: The Fifty Eleven Project” on Kompakt Records, (named 5th
Best Contemporary Album 2018 in The Guardian), Kasper has found his way back to producing some
of his signature leftfield danceable beats, which “the past decade has seen Bjørke steadily rising amongst the ranks of artful, eclectic electronic producers…” (XLR8R).The Double EP “Nothing Gold Can Stay” explores both the analogue and organic side of his production work on Side A - while Side B reflects on sounds that he would play today, in one of his nightclub DJ sets. Side A contains four collaborations with four friends from LA, New York and Copenhagen. “Water” feat. Toby Ernest, the slow mo opener to the EP, revives the partnership with Toby that was last seen on 2014’s After Forever album (on the single “Rush”). Toby also provides the vocals on the cover version of Alessi Brothers’ 1975 classic “Seabird” - a track that came about through Kasper’s friendship and musical synergy with DJ and vinyl digger Christian d’Or, who is lead crooning while Toby delivers his signature falsetto. The “Seabird” cover adds a distinct contemporary feeling to the original version while staying true and respectful to the delivery and mood of the songs core. The 2nd half of the release, Side B, is directly aimed at the floor. Having stepped away from releasing club jams for a few years, Kasper is clearly enjoying getting back to the business of making people move. Side B of Nothing Gold Can Stay is both a testament to Kasper’s versatility as a producer and an all-out dancefloor assault, made with precision and sensitivity.


More

LP + mp3

Tracklist:
A1 The Oldest Sons Of The Oldest Sons
A2. Our Earlier Years
A3. Space Metal
A4. Palace Walls
A5. Epitaphs
B1. Hotels
B2. Neil Young/Cues
B3. Small Sacrifices
B4. J Girls
B5. July 9th

Release Info:
Made up of Dave Harrington (Darkside/Dave Harrington Group) and Benjamin Jay (NDF/Benoit & Sergio), Lights Fluorescent is, as the two describe it, an ‘experiment in the spaces between song and texture, idea and reference, past and present.’ On their debut album, The Oldest Sons Of The Oldest Sons, the duo develops an atmospheric, slant-pop sensibility that lists toward the experimental tendencies of improvisational and ambient music.
The result is a set of songs meant to be lived with. Entirely percussion-less, recordings drift on a tenderness of guitar, revenant feedback and vocals of autumnal intimation. Space Metal and July 9th process layers of bespoke noise and washed out chords to tarry with integral depth, light, and shadow, while Hotels distills country-western longing into its nth dimensional essence always unrequited.
From within these sonic panoramas, vocals emerge more as watercolor traces than coarse etchings. They aim to capture evocative, lyrical intensities, eschewing the solace of the literal. As such, the album favors 'the gestural, the implicit, and the miniature over the more adolescent urges of grand narratives and epic.’ These preferences map onto the album in all of its moves. J Girls reveals a hint of story buried, like its context, deep in whorls of feedback. Fleeting images of monuments, cathedrals, or epitaphs on tracks like Palace Walls or Small Sacrifices speak to a sense of memory and community paradoxically ungrounded by the material instantiations meant to keep things in place.


More

Territories: WORLD excluding Scandinavia, Germany/Austria

LP + download code

Tracklist:
A1. Swimmer
A2. Someday
A3. Morgensol
A4. Vanilla
A5. Rain Rain
B1. Bombard
B2. Sobs
B3. Lovable
B4. New Navel

Release Info:
Blaue Blume are a Danish alternative art pop band with a deep connection to the romanticism of the early 80s UK scene. Referencing artists such as Talk Talk, The Smiths and Cocteau Twins, it's clear their influences are with the more sensitive, magical aspects of music - and the eternal questions of love, life and death. Following two singles (Lovable and Vanilla) the album Bell of Wool is finally with us. It’s suitably enchanting from start to finish. Two themes dominate Blaue Blume’s new album Bell Of Wool, darkness and adventure. With the record mostly made before singer Jonas Smith slipped into a depressive episode, the album’s lyrics and moods draw pictures of the darkness, anxiety and tension that would mark Smith’s depression. Sonically, the album sounds a distance away from anything they’ve done before. Indie and electro pop and rock are out, and instead the album is crafted from soft, glowing synthscapes, dawns and skies transformed into sounds. Even on hints of their older work, like on the acoustics of “Rain Rain”, the synthwork comes into the picture and swells the song into something bigger and more majestic. Opener “Swimmer” introduces the listener to the softness and subtlety of the new sound, whereas songs like “Morgensol” and “Bombard” show it at its biggest and more grand.



More

Cassette + mp3
kds010 EAN: 4250382438496 Presale: 09.08.2019 Release: 23.08.2019


A1. Mtvare (??????)
A2. Kite
A3. Rash
A4. Cure
A5. Suli (????)
A6. Wave

B1. Kinder
B2. Heal
B3. Only
B4. Badiou
B5. Nectar
B6. When
B7. Hope
B8. Salt
B9. Dirt


Fleeing her Soviet ruled home of Tbisili at a young age with her parents, Saze grew up as a nomad living in Russia, France, Canada and the USA before finally settling down and pursuing a career in NYC. A classically trained musician and dancer, before long the Georgian turned her back on corporate life to pour her heart and soul into the arts. Becoming a diligent and versatile electronic music producer, DJ and live act, Sophia Saze is as comfortable sculpting intricate and atmospheric productions in the studio as she is decimating dancefloors with robust Techno and frenetic Breaks.
Reflecting on her turbulent life and how it’s formed her own identity, Saze composed her aptly titled debut album, ‘Self’. Released on cassette in two instalments, ‘Part I’ dropped in June and was critically acclaimed with support from the likes of BBC 6MUSIC’s Tom Ravenscroft, Mixmag, DJ Mag, XLR8R, Resident Advisor, Future Music, Attack Magazine, TRAX, Tsugi, Ransom Note and Groove Magazine, with the latter drawing a parallel between hers and Burial’s music.
Completing the journey, ‘Part II’ meanders through genres like Ambient, Hip Hop and Breaks, and features very personal insights including handpicked samples from Soviet television shows and VHS cassette recordings from her childhood.
Hidden allusions of her classical music education bring up distant memories and melt together the organic but thoroughly electronic ambience. Crackles, hushes and hisses are elaborated so well that the record virtually gushes over the ears like mountain torrents. It appears peaceful and quiet, then rousing and it is sparked with bewildering sounds. It lets scattered beats arise from the thicket and drown again in streams of noise. But in the end, especially the haunting seriousness of the album is compelling. As a concept album, ‘Self’ consists of short and precise tracks mixed together, signifying a proper way to redefine a musical work in the modern age.
Mixed by commended Kingdoms label head Francis Harris, Sophia Saze’s detailed sound-design is brought to the front for an illuminating listening experience.

More

Casstte + mp3
kds009 EAN: 4250382438489 Presale: 31.05.2019 Release: 14.06.2019


A1. Salome
A2. Bare
A3. Tsminda
A4. Punches
A5. Howl
B1. Flower
B2. Orbits
B3. Volk
B4. De Dios
B5. Torn
B6. Safe
B7. Kera
B8. Mirror Mirror
B9. Aliens

Georgian artist Sophia Saze releases her debut two-part album 'Self' on Francis Harris' Kingdoms imprint, with part one dropping on cassette this June. "The record embodies my story of duality within the context of identity, insomuch as the idea that every person has a deeper layer we don't show on the surface."
Born in Tbilisi, Sophia Saze is the daughter of political refugees who's spent her life living in numerous different countries before eventually finding home in Brooklyn. Finding it difficult to find her own identity due to living a nomadic lifestyle, the classically trained musician became entangled with electronic music before becoming a key player within New York's nightlife scene and launching her Dusk & Haze imprint in 2017.
A reflection of her struggles throughout life, 'Self' is very much a memoir of the many different places she's lived during her journey, including Georgia, Russia, USA, France and Canada. Contrasting to her recent productions, which are geared more towards the dancefloor, her debut longplayer is downtempo and features a medley of musical influences - mixed in two parts and released as a concept album on cassette. Maintaining a sonically raw feel throughout, 'Self' draws the analogy of analog to modern day digital culture whilst also taking a stance against perfection, whether integrating the distance crackle of her machines or intentional off-beat piano notes in minor. Part One was conceived, for the most part, during a sleepless yet inspired 48-hour studio session. Processed field recordings accompany samples from her childhood, such as soviet cartoons and intimate VHS recordings of her family. The result is a well-seasoned and personal story portrayed in fourteen tracks mixed together.
"I feel the element of patience is somewhat of a lost commodity in our generation, particularly for albums. We're consumed by track to track interpretations and constantly searching for the next instant stimulation. With this record, I wanted to reiterate the idea that if you don't have the willingness to sit through the whole thing, then you're not stepping into it with the right mindset to begin with."
Every artist who collaborated on the record is handpicked, such as vocalist Ricardo Rivera. The final production was also mixed by Francis Harris himself. All of their involvement means they share a fragment of the concept.
Sophia Saze 'Self' LP drops on Kingdoms on 14th June (Part One) and 12th July (Part Two) 2019.
More

LP + download code

Tracklist:
A1. Hiraeth
A2. Kismet (Kisnot Edit)
A3. Fukitall
B1. Speak Sweetly
B2. Morgenfrisk
B3. Eggo

Six years after his latest LP ‘Busted With A Bag Of Bliss’ came out on My Favourite Robot, Canadian indie electronica master Sid Le Rock returns with his fifth studio album ‘Scenic Route’.
The new LP, which will come out on April 26 via hafendisko, is the result of a year-long production process, marked by total creative freedom in the studio. “Reflecting the ethos of my over 15-year long music career, ‘Scenic Route’ is all about taking the long way — embracing my experiences and humility by continuing forth along a road less traveled, rather than seeking instant gratification and shortcuts in life,” Sid Le Rock says. With a total of eight LPs, four of which were released under his Sid Le Rock moniker, it’s clear that albums are the Berlin-based producer, live act, DJ and vocalist’s preferred form of expression. “I’m an album artist. I prefer the concept of an album, because it’s more intertwined with all your influences, your musical goals and directions, and you can get away with a lot more experimenting, expression and explorations than you can with an EP. EPs for me are foreplay,” he explains. Scenic Route is a musical journey through a wide palette of sounds, ranging from dancefloor tracks ‘Kismet’ and ‘Morgenfrisk’ to electro masterpieces ‘Speak Sweetly’ and ‘Hiraeth’. The album artwork has been created by Alex Solman, “the man behind the distinctive drawings for the Golden Pudel and one of the best visual artists working in music today” (Resident Advisor)
More

CD, Digipac, 12 pages booklet

Tracklist CD/LP:
01. / A1. Pyrit: Time For Wind
02. / A2. A Place To Bury Strangers: Never Coming Back (Trentemøller Remix)
03. / A3. The Raveonettes: Expelled From Love
04. / A4. How Do I: Knowing Me, Knowing You
05. / A5. Kira Skov: I Celebrate My Life (Trentemøller Remix)
06. / B1. The Lollipops: Naked When You Come
07. / B2. Tropic Of Cancer: Children Of A Lesser God
08. / B3. Black Marble: Static
09. / B4. Trentemøller: One Eye Open (Trentemøller Remix HBT Edit)
10. / C1. John Maus: Hey Moon
11. / C2. Trentemøller: Transformer Man
12. / C3. Slowdive: Slomo
13. / D1. Moon Duo: Lost In Light
14. / D2. CTM: Paloma Pt.2
15. / D3. The KVB: In Deep
16. / D4. Levin Goes Lightly: 1989


Anders Trentemøller's career is a travel-heavy one, with his touring schedule taking him pretty much all over the world. But it's his home port that's inspired his latest project, the sprawling, stunning compilation mix 'Harbour Boat Trips Vol. 02: Copenhagen'. Clocking in at just over an hour long, the compilation sees Trentemøller curate and craft sixteen songs into a heavy, hazy mix that ranges from shoegaze to electronica, featuring both familiar and celebrated artists like A Place to Bury Strangers (with a new Trentemøller remix) and Slowdive to more obscure finds, as well as Trentemøller's own tracks and remixes, most notably a brand new Trentemøller cover of Neil Young's classic 'Transformer Man'.

The mix sees him pick up a thread he left off earlier in his career. In 2009 he put together 'Harbour Boat Trips - 01: Copenhagen', a compilation mix comprised of his favourite music, both Danish and international, from across four decades, loosely inspired by the motion and movement of Copenhagen's busy harbour. Closing in on a decade later, we're getting the second edition, with 'Harbour Boat Trips - 02' arriving this November.

"Sometimes, it's nice to take a break from my own stuff and present some of the music that I like and music that inspires me", says Trentemøller.

The diversity of his musical knowledge and taste is reflected in the variety of places and times the tracks are sourced from, from old Danish cult classics to some of the best new artists to surface in recent years like Paris' Pyrit and Posh Isolation's CTM. What perhaps unites the songs on the mix is their sense of heaviness, of artistic depth. There's nothing throwaway or frivolous here, a mix stretching from industrial to shoegaze instead hitting the listener in the hard places. Trentemøller's mixing highlights the qualities the songs share, their darkness but also their strange, cold beauty and ability to captivate.
Despite the songs being pulled from very different places, they share a certain spirit here they form a coherent artistic unit for an hour-long musical journey.

And according to Anders, that's the point of a project like this, to not just to collect a bunch of great songs, but to mix them in such a way that the compilation develops its own distinct artistic character, its own separate story and identity:

"I like it when a mix tells a story, and it's not just a compilation of different tracks. If the tracks together take you on some kind of journey, then it's interesting for me. That's also what I have been trying to do with this HBT release. It was very important to me that it's not just another compilation of songs but a bunch of songs that means something to me, carefully mixed together to one whole.

I think a good mix is not limited to just one style, I always try to mix music that I like without thinking of what style it is. Instead it's the mood and the atmosphere that make all these different songs blend together. It's the glue." says Trentemøller.

Like previous releases of the danish musician and producer Harbour Boat Trips Vol. 02 connects with the mood of a certain season of the year.

"I think this mix has a certain autumn vibe to it, it's quite dreamy, melancholic but also noisy and violent in certain places. I didn't want this mix to be a 'coffee table mix'. It can work as background music maybe, but I think you get the best out of it with your headphones on and letting yourself let go in the music, in the moods of the mix."

About the selection of songs Trentemøller says:
"They're songs that have followed me for years, but also songs I discovered only recently. What I like about doing a mix like this, is that I can introduce the listeners to some songs they maybe haven't heard before. A track like 'Naked When You Come' is a Danish song from the 60s by The Lollipops, a quite corny band. But they wrote this amazing song that is so unique in terms of melody and production. The intro or the core groove of it, it could easily be the foundation for a modern hip-hop tune.
Another example is a Danish band from the early 90s called How Do I, who made an incredible cover of the ABBA song 'Knowing Me, Knowing You'. Their version makes you feel the song and the lyrics much stronger through the way they approached it. It's stripped down, and the changeover between the verses and choruses gives me goosebumps. Suddenly you listen to the lyrics much more carefully, and it feels like the music somehow really fits the words in a perfect way in this cover version."

The lead single for the compilation is brand new Trentemøller release, a cover of Neil Young's 'Transformer Man', a song that wasn't an obvious choice for Anders at all. He says:
"Although I'm a huge Neil Young fan, I actually didn't know about this song until Marie Fisker (a frequent colaborator (editor's note)) played it to me when we sat down and thought about some songs that would be fun to cover for the mix. I wasn't a fan of the song and its sound in the first place, but the melody, especially the hookline, somehow caught me. The song with its super corny vocoder and disco-pop sound is quite far away from what I normally listen to and so it wasn't an obvious choice and instead I took it as a challenge to see in which direction we could take the song. I thought it could be interesting to get rid of all that disco/vocoder stuff and focus on the song itself and suddenly it shined in new splendor." It's the cover's colder, starker, more affecting sound that puts it in spiritual sync with the compilation. With Marie Fisker on vocals, it keeps the original's sense of alienation and anomie while bringing in into Trentemøller's stylistic space, music that's monochromatically beautiful and gripping.




More

LP, Gatefold Sleeve, Download-code

Tracklist CD/LP:
01. / A1. Pyrit: Time For Wind
02. / A2. A Place To Bury Strangers: Never Coming Back (Trentemøller Remix)
03. / A3. The Raveonettes: Expelled From Love
04. / A4. How Do I: Knowing Me, Knowing You
05. / A5. Kira Skov: I Celebrate My Life (Trentemøller Remix)
06. / B1. The Lollipops: Naked When You Come
07. / B2. Tropic Of Cancer: Children Of A Lesser God
08. / B3. Black Marble: Static
09. / B4. Trentemøller: One Eye Open (Trentemøller Remix HBT Edit)
10. / C1. John Maus: Hey Moon
11. / C2. Trentemøller: Transformer Man
12. / C3. Slowdive: Slomo
13. / D1. Moon Duo: Lost In Light
14. / D2. CTM: Paloma Pt.2
15. / D3. The KVB: In Deep
16. / D4. Levin Goes Lightly: 1989


Anders Trentemøller's career is a travel-heavy one, with his touring schedule taking him pretty much all over the world. But it's his home port that's inspired his latest project, the sprawling, stunning compilation mix 'Harbour Boat Trips Vol. 02: Copenhagen'. Clocking in at just over an hour long, the compilation sees Trentemøller curate and craft sixteen songs into a heavy, hazy mix that ranges from shoegaze to electronica, featuring both familiar and celebrated artists like A Place to Bury Strangers (with a new Trentemøller remix) and Slowdive to more obscure finds, as well as Trentemøller's own tracks and remixes, most notably a brand new Trentemøller cover of Neil Young's classic 'Transformer Man'.

The mix sees him pick up a thread he left off earlier in his career. In 2009 he put together 'Harbour Boat Trips - 01: Copenhagen', a compilation mix comprised of his favourite music, both Danish and international, from across four decades, loosely inspired by the motion and movement of Copenhagen's busy harbour. Closing in on a decade later, we're getting the second edition, with 'Harbour Boat Trips - 02' arriving this November.

"Sometimes, it's nice to take a break from my own stuff and present some of the music that I like and music that inspires me", says Trentemøller.

The diversity of his musical knowledge and taste is reflected in the variety of places and times the tracks are sourced from, from old Danish cult classics to some of the best new artists to surface in recent years like Paris' Pyrit and Posh Isolation's CTM. What perhaps unites the songs on the mix is their sense of heaviness, of artistic depth. There's nothing throwaway or frivolous here, a mix stretching from industrial to shoegaze instead hitting the listener in the hard places. Trentemøller's mixing highlights the qualities the songs share, their darkness but also their strange, cold beauty and ability to captivate.
Despite the songs being pulled from very different places, they share a certain spirit here they form a coherent artistic unit for an hour-long musical journey.

And according to Anders, that's the point of a project like this, to not just to collect a bunch of great songs, but to mix them in such a way that the compilation develops its own distinct artistic character, its own separate story and identity:

"I like it when a mix tells a story, and it's not just a compilation of different tracks. If the tracks together take you on some kind of journey, then it's interesting for me. That's also what I have been trying to do with this HBT release. It was very important to me that it's not just another compilation of songs but a bunch of songs that means something to me, carefully mixed together to one whole.

I think a good mix is not limited to just one style, I always try to mix music that I like without thinking of what style it is. Instead it's the mood and the atmosphere that make all these different songs blend together. It's the glue." says Trentemøller.

Like previous releases of the danish musician and producer Harbour Boat Trips Vol. 02 connects with the mood of a certain season of the year.

"I think this mix has a certain autumn vibe to it, it's quite dreamy, melancholic but also noisy and violent in certain places. I didn't want this mix to be a 'coffee table mix'. It can work as background music maybe, but I think you get the best out of it with your headphones on and letting yourself let go in the music, in the moods of the mix."

About the selection of songs Trentemøller says:
"They're songs that have followed me for years, but also songs I discovered only recently. What I like about doing a mix like this, is that I can introduce the listeners to some songs they maybe haven't heard before. A track like 'Naked When You Come' is a Danish song from the 60s by The Lollipops, a quite corny band. But they wrote this amazing song that is so unique in terms of melody and production. The intro or the core groove of it, it could easily be the foundation for a modern hip-hop tune.
Another example is a Danish band from the early 90s called How Do I, who made an incredible cover of the ABBA song 'Knowing Me, Knowing You'. Their version makes you feel the song and the lyrics much stronger through the way they approached it. It's stripped down, and the changeover between the verses and choruses gives me goosebumps. Suddenly you listen to the lyrics much more carefully, and it feels like the music somehow really fits the words in a perfect way in this cover version."

The lead single for the compilation is brand new Trentemøller release, a cover of Neil Young's 'Transformer Man', a song that wasn't an obvious choice for Anders at all. He says:
"Although I'm a huge Neil Young fan, I actually didn't know about this song until Marie Fisker (a frequent colaborator (editor's note)) played it to me when we sat down and thought about some songs that would be fun to cover for the mix. I wasn't a fan of the song and its sound in the first place, but the melody, especially the hookline, somehow caught me. The song with its super corny vocoder and disco-pop sound is quite far away from what I normally listen to and so it wasn't an obvious choice and instead I took it as a challenge to see in which direction we could take the song. I thought it could be interesting to get rid of all that disco/vocoder stuff and focus on the song itself and suddenly it shined in new splendor." It's the cover's colder, starker, more affecting sound that puts it in spiritual sync with the compilation. With Marie Fisker on vocals, it keeps the original's sense of alienation and anomie while bringing in into Trentemøller's stylistic space, music that's monochromatically beautiful and gripping.




More

LP + mp3 incl. bonus track

A1. Sermon To The Birds
A2. Carnivorous Flower
A3. Untitled #34
B1. Sunless
B2. Nightfall
B3. That Obscure Object
B4. The Nile

Kingdoms welcomes Finnish composer, producer, visual artist and filmmaker Hannu Karjalainen. His recording career now spans over a decade, beginning under the pseudonym Hannu and later under his full name for 'A Handful Of Dust Is A Desert' on Karaoke Kalk.

Now, this seven track mini album on Francis Harris' Kingdoms sees Karjalainen continue his explorations in new directions - touching on field recordings, soundscapes and esoteric instrumentation to build a truly meditative and moving record.

'Drift' begins with 'Sermon to the Birds', featuring beautiful plucked strings and ambient atmospheres, before 'Carnivorous Flower' casts us into enormous otherworldly dronescapes.
'Untitled #34' brings about a beat of sorts, but deeply deconstructed to a crawl, allowing acres of space between the hits and sub bass pulses. 'Sunless' is, conversely, a ray of light - bright, weightless pads provide the feeling of being completely cut adrift. Segueing into 'Nightfall', the tones become a little duskier and more intense, building throughout the track.
'That Obscure Object' is another trip into the space, as white noise and fragments of melody intersect. The album ends with 'The Nile' - a treated piano plays a haunting melodic sequence, seemingly suspended in air. It's a beautiful, emotional conclusion to an album that encourages the listener to take the time to experience its many pleasures.

More