Sunday, March 31, 2013

EICV7" No. 40 - Sobrenadar ..coming soon!

EverythingIsChemical Virtual 7" No. 40 - Sobrenadar comes out April 7th! 
  
"While you are away my heart comes undone.." ~Bjork

 (hopefully you checked out the last v7"?)

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Check into Younghoon Beats..


I love a good sample-based project every once-in-a-while. It has to be done right though; paying "proper" homage while maintaining some form of originality. Younghoon Beats has done just that by sampling/slowing down some of my favorite musicians. The end result being a mind-f*ck of Post Instrumental Hip Hop/Trip Hop/Post Midnight Jazz amalgamy. Music that numbs the mind can never be a bad thing right?

Monday, March 25, 2013

EIC's 10Q's w/ Vanilla

"..Press play, start strutin', nod your head to the beat every once and a while, you'll get some followers eventually...." 


Vanilla
Soft Oppidan Jams

Vanilla Bio
Vanilla is an Instrumental Hip Hop artist based in Oxford, UK. He now has 6 releases to his name: 2009’s ‘Thought Process’, the 2010 EP ‘Night Visions’, the full-length ‘Chrometrails’ released in May 2010, the LP ‘High Life’ dropped in May 2011, ‘Soft Focus’ released in May 2012, and finally ‘For What It’s Worth’ in January 2013. Vanilla’s music can be downloaded here: http://vanillabeats.bandcamp.com/


Hello, how are you?
Pretty good thank you.

What are you currently listening to?
I've not been listening to much lately but have been enjoying Flume's debut album, which has some great vocal sampling in it. Also 'Home' by Nosaj Thing, which has a very atmospheric, almost 'filmic' quality to it. I'd definitely like to explore this kind of sound more in my own music.

When did this project come about and whom were your biggest influences for said project?
'For What It's Worth' is basically a compilation of unused tracks made over the last year that I wanted to release primarily to remind people that I'm still here, as I hadn't released anything in ages and everyone seems to be so prolific these days so it's good to try and keep up. I guess stuff like 'Old Donuts' by Dilla and other loose beat tapes inspired the idea, as when you discover producers like that it's nice to try and get hold of all their old and unreleased tracks.

Out of all your tracks/releases thus far do you have one track and/or album in particular that you are fond of?
I'm probably most proud of 'Soft Focus' as an album, as I think it's the most stylistically and musically consistent project I've made yet. I'm quite fond of my Nas remix as well, has a sort of Vice City vibe that I've failed to capture since.

Have you ever thought about doing a vocal heavy/more lyric-based album?
I'd love to work with some vocalists at some point, definitely for more sample-free material. Vocals/lyrics aren't exactly my forte so it would be great to collaborate with people who know what they're doing. Hopefully soon!

If you could choose any artist(s) to remix your work, whom would you choose and why?
I'm not sure my work is really suited to being remixed, seeing as it's all built around other people's music to begin with. But if I could pick anyone, I guess someone like Onra because he is one of the best out there, definitely one of my favourite producers. He knows how to chop up a sample.

Got any other projects we should know about?
I've got a future-funk album that's been in the works for ages now, as well as the 'Soft Focus' follow-up and some original compositional stuff that I hope will see the light of day sometime this year.

What movie would work best on mute while listening to you music?
That's a tricky one, I'd like to say something like 'Drive' which is very stylistic but already has an amazing soundtrack, so maybe with the vintage sample-based nature of my music something by Martin Scorsese would work better, possibly Taxi Driver. Or anything with Nicolas Cage losing his shit.

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?
'Where You Go I Go Too' by Lindstrøm. It's probably the grandest, most impressive thing I've ever heard. It's so dense and detailed that there's always something new to pick up with each listen.

Are you living your dream?
It's hard to say as I haven't exactly figured out what that is yet, but I feel like I'm getting closer to it.

Thanx Hugo!

Vanilla is currently making new music (I'm sure of it--this guy is pretty prolific/quick with releasing new jamz, each one better than the last), try to keep up...

REVIEW: Vanilla - For What It's Worth

8.25 out of 10

I've been listening to Vanilla's seductive-smooth Instrumental take on Hip Hop for the past couple of years now. It seems with each new release this artist just keeps growing and evolving into his sound for the better. His latest release "For What It's Worth" is more of an unreleased/b-sides kind of deal, but honestly, these "b-sides" could easily be mistaken for "A-sides". All of the tracks on this release are "pimpn' made easy". Press play, start strutin', nod your head to the beat every once and a while, you'll get some followers eventually..

Vanilla (from what I can tell) is 90% sample driven. Between dusty 70's Funk sound, vintage underground Jazz club music, and a few nods to some Classical compositions + a few other "worldly delights"; Vanilla has something for every Hip Hop enthusiast out there. To compare him to others; think somewhere between Dabrye's earlier work meets DJ Shadow's (and/or J Dilla's) early vinyl collectin' days. Your work day is over, now just chill already, Vanilla's got what ale's ya;] (Oh! did I mention most of Vanilla's music is free?)

Word; there are few of those on this release, but that's OK 'For What It's Worth' is just too smoooooth for those to get in the way, it's also HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Standout Tracks: Azure, Days, Travels, 2gether, Wishiknew, Stuff, Rashida, To Me / Soiree, Better With U

Sunday, March 24, 2013

EICV7" No. 39 - Hypermagic



"Fantasy mirrors desire. Imagination reshapes it." ~Mason Cooley 

Next release comes out April 7th.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Cool Video Funtime #370 - Duality

EIC's 10Q's w/ Light House

"..distortions fill the air with ringing passion.." 

(Photo credit: Eric Mast)

Light House
Saturnine Synth Discord

Light House Bio
Hmm, I couldn't find much of a bio on this group:{ Here's what Dark Entries had to say;
So we’ve found another great new band from Portland. *Shocker*. Light House is a trio comprised of Chris Relyea, Dawn Sharp, and Brooks Blackhawk, and their blend of Shoegaze Atmospherics and Dark Synth sounds is right up our alley. The band’s latest release, In Their Image EP, comes to us via Freee, a new project from the fine folks from Ecstasy consisting of, in their own words, music, literature and whatever else they feel like putting out.


Hello, how are you?
 LH didn't answer this one, we'll assume they're doing great;]

What are you currently listening to?

Is there a story behind the band name? 
It was just a marriage of words we both agreed upon. I've always visualized it as a light box house.

Care to tell us a little bit about your latest release 'In Their Image'; theme(s), favorite track(s), etc.?
The 'In Their Image EP' was recorded on analog tape at Red Lantern Studios in Portland.  At the time of recording it was just intended to feature some new material with Brooks on guitar for online stuff (Brooks is a studio member of Light House). I definitely feel like something happens if you listen to the title song in the dark but we think the songs in general round out the intentions of the band pretty well. Freee asked to put the four songs out as an EP and Light House is distributing the first pressing.  We just signed with Mannequin to repress and distribute it in Europe as well, which we're really excited about!

Will you be touring pretty extensively for said release?
We're definitely shaping tours right now.  We just played in LA on 3/20 with Hive Mind (and San Francisco again in May).  Then we're gonna do the whole West Coast, New York and small European tour in June.

How did you get connected with Mannequin Records?
Well essentially it was just through word of mouth and goes back to Patricia from Soft Metals and Justin from Soft Moon.  Ohh sofft..

Got any other projects we should know about?
Chris was a member of The Rapture, The Calculators and has a solo project called Switches.  I have a clothing line.

What movie would work best on mute while listening to you music?

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?
Dawn: Tim Hardin's '1'

Are you living your dream?
Dawn: Probably, I'm reading 'Dreambody' right now..
Chris: Always

Thanx Dawn and Chris (and Honey too)!

Light House recently released 'In Their Image EP', I recommend you get that yesterday...

Light House - The Walls Want Communion


REVIEW: Light House - In Their Image

7.75 out of 10


Thanks Honey;] I may not have found out about Light House (at least not until later) if Honey Owens (Valet/Miracles Club/Estasy/Fr333) hadn't shown me the light. I'm glad that she did, after soaking the album in enough I did a little research (not the easiest band to google mind you) and it seems Light House have been formed/semi-established for at least a little bit now. 'In Their Image' is not their debut by any means, but it seems to be the one that is most well put together/getting promoted more other than a compilation they were featured on;]. Light House may not be a household name yet, but judging them off of this hot-mopey little EP + word of mouth + the amazing talent & writing that is involved it can't be much longer before more and more people will be talking about this project.

Right off the bat this release sounds like it's going to for a moody Gothic Dream Pop-Romantic sound (something you may hear on an early 4AD release). From there the pace changes (only slightly/enough) into something a bit more modern-synthetic & futuristic. Synthesizers become the foreground, Shoegaze-esque guitar distortions fill the air with ringing passion, and of course Dawn's gorgeous/androgynous voice which sways between sensual/softly spoken speech and minor-melodical angelic hymns. In the end the final package is one of the best Gothic-Synth-Gaze acts I've heard in quite sometime and I seriously can't wait to hear where Light House take their sound next.

RIYL; Tropic Of Cancer meets Soft Metals. HIGHLY Recommended if you like music in-general;]

Standout Tracks: All pretty good really, but mainly; The Walls Want Communion, Seven Seas You Sent (LOVE this track)

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Monday, March 18, 2013

EIC's 10Q's w/ Makeup And Vanity Set

"..sensual Disco-Tech..slowly transcending into moody midnight desert drive music.."


Makeup And Vanity Set
Ultra Modern Sensual Expansive

Makeup And Vanity Set Bio
Makeup And Vanity Set is Armando Apache Putay. He lives in the foothills of the Great Wizard Mountains. Under the light of Jupiter’s moon, he makes jams; and with the help of mighty beasts and magic prophecy, he seeks to discover his true identity at any cost. These are his jams. This is his story.

Hello, how are you?
Life has been all over the place lately. Right now things are good though. My feet are on the ground.

What are you currently listening to?
"Rollin' & Scratchin'" by Daft Punk has been on repeat lately. I go back to it a lot. It's so abrasive and perfect and raw.

Whats with the band name?
Sitting in front of a computer making music for hours is a bit like sitting in front of a vanity in a way. you're sort of staring into it trying to find yourself. It's a weird juxtaposition considering the ski masks.

When did this project come about and whom were your biggest influences for said project?
Musically it's Moroder, Jarre, and Vangelis. There's other stuff in there, but those guys influenced everyone, so it's all relative. I watch a ton of film and that influences me a lot more than music. I love old science fiction movies like 'Blade Runner' or 'Logan's Run' or Tarkovsky's 'Solaris' and their perceptions of what the future would look like. I'm more attracted to the tone of the movie or the tone of a specific sequence. A lot of the music I make operates with the idea that it could live in those places. There's a lot of catharsis in getting lost in that.  

Care to tell us a little bit about your latest LP '88:88'?
Before I'd started writing, '88:88' was an almost finished, high production value / low budget short that I was luckily tacked onto during post production. The director, Joey Ciccoline, was going to license a song I wrote and we hit it off and I ended up scoring it. After spending a lot of time in the film writing the score, an album just sort of happened. The album '88:88' was meant to be a sister to the film - it starts where the film ends and represents where the character goes and what happens to her. It wasn't a planned out thing - it just sort of happened, literally from start to finish, in order. Visual things are so motivating to me. I feed off of that. the film ended up in a ton of festivals and was shown at the Venice Film Festival, almost winning Ridley Scott's YouTube film festival competition. Joey created something really great.

Any plans to tour for said release?
There's always a chance something like that could happen. I started working with a full-time drummer and that's radically changed things. I've been playing shows for a long time and they're so difficult in terms of set up and execution and having to try to make it seem like you're not up there doing your taxes or a spreadsheet or something.

If you could choose any artist(s) to remix your work, whom would you choose and why?
I'd love to work with more filmmakers, honestly. After the experience with Joey on '88', and working with Caspar Newbolt of Version Industries on the album covers, the idea of collaborating with visual artists is infinitely more interesting to me.

Got any other projects we should know about?
I have this other thing called DAAS. You can find it here: daas.bandcamp.com.

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?
Choosing one single album would be impossible for me. Brian Eno wrote two of the greatest pieces of music ever written; "The Big Ship," and "An Ending (Ascent)." I could live with those songs forever I think.

Are you living your dream?
Always.

Thanx Matthew!

Makeup And Vanity Set recently released a new single, I strongly recommend you check it out.. (it's free)

REVIEW: Makeup And Vanity Set - 88:88

8.75 out of 10

I can't say I know a whole lot about Makeup And Vanity Set (other than it "mainly" just being one dude who's really obsessed with "vintage" Sci-Fi Soundtrack work). In-fact I was definitely a little late on the ball with this release in particular (which came out in May '12), I've got a lot of catching up to do apparently.. No matter, anything that sounds like Chromatics crossed w/ M83 and/or Daft Punk is a-ok to me.. Better late than never right?

'88:88' is actually a soundtrack to an independent movie. The atmosphere bleeds upbeat and futuristic right off the bat (like a more sensual Disco-Tech). It then slowly transcends into moody midnight desert drive music (kind of dark & mysterious), then back again to modern Spacey Synth Pop. The songs fluctuate as the album progresses, much like the narration of the character who is losing control of her own life in said film. '88:88', in all honesty, is one of the best soundtracks I've heard in recent years, and I only hope more and more artists follow in Makeup's path.

Highly [Super-Duper-Seriously Spaced-Out Just-Go-Out & Buy-This-Right-Now™] Recommended.

Standout Tracks: The Cross, Homecoming (Featuring Jasmin Kaset), Val

Sunday, March 17, 2013

EICV7" No. 39 - Hypermagic ..coming soon!

  EverythingIsChemical Virtual 7" No. 39 - Hypermagic comes out March 24th! 
  
"Sensual pleasures have the fleeting brilliance of a comet.." ~Ann Landers

 (hopefully you checked out the last v7"?)

Saturday, March 16, 2013

[[EIC Mixtape: № 11 - April '13]]

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1. Clem Leek - Sleep Now Darling, We Are Here
2. Paul J Fox - Summer Deep
3. Ghibli - Saint Germain
4. Kool A.D. - Vendedores (Feat. Tray 57) (Prod. Young L)
5. Lately Kind Of Yeah - Sing Me To Sleep
6. Kitty - No Offense!!!!!
7. The Polaroid Bear - Winter Beard
8. Psychic Rites - Z
9. Mangetout - If It Wer
10. Mykki Blanco - Wavvy [Prod. By Brenmar]
11. Ryuuta Takaki - Everything Is...
12. The Polaroid Bear - Little Ladle
13. Moth Rah - Rise
14. Ghost Eyes - Another Moon
15. Tangled Memories - Horrible Similarity
16. Feeding Fingers - Auflösen Wie Familien Tun
17. Scared Crow - Drowsy Eyes
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Thanx for listenin';]