Cool Hunting
I haven't heard much from Battles, a math-hip-hop-rock super group, since I was dazed by their supersonic onslaught during the Surrounded by Silence Prefuse 73 tour some years back. But this 2 April 2007 they're releasing their single "Atlas" (digitally and on 12" vinyl) from their first full-length album, Mirrored, which is due out 15 May 2007 from Warp. They also just kicked off their world tour, which will be winding it's way through the U.S. and into Europe. Make sure to catch them if they come into your vicinity because they put on one of the most energetic live shows out there.
Battles consists of multi-instrumentalist Tyondai Braxton, drummer John Stanier (Helmet, Tomahawk), who plays his kit with an unusually high crash cymbal (right), guitarist/keyboardist Ian Williams (Don Caballero), and guitarist/bassist Dave Konopka (Lynx). This new album will be the the first time Battles incorporates vocals into their driving, hypnotic sound. We haven't heard the full length yet, but on "Atlas", Braxton digitizes and manipulates his voice to emulate a chipmunk of sorts, as drummer John Stanier maintains a clockwork beat that grounds Willams' texturizations. A truly original sound, NME comments, "when the world is invaded by robots in 2067 this will still sound ahead of its time."
Listen to "Atlas" and other tracks here and stay tuned for the release of Mirrored.
|
previous entry TateShots |
next entry TLC SmartCab |
J. Howells Werthman (JHW), a brooklyn native and co-founding member of the Nuclear Family music collective, recently released his first solo album We Are Making Plans. Taking advantage of Nuclear Family's "extensive community of music makers and artists, guys we've been doing shows with for years," the result carefully crafted album features a curated list of guests that proves hip hop lives on. Although...
The queen of her own stratum, Bjork's talent is the type where we've come to expect the unexpected. As is the case with all her projects, I've been gleefully indulging in her new multimedia undertaking Voltaic as if I were discovering the Icelandic chanteuse all over again. Closing the chapter of the past powerful two years of her career, this reently-released live album is...
As influential as the music they supported, the Two Tone Records graphic system created an iconic look for British bands that fused Jamaican ska and rocksteady with contemporary punk and pop in the late '70s. Known for the black and white checkerboard and crisp, bold elements, the treatment unified the fashion and music of the period and remains a highly referenced theme today. Two...
by Julie Wolfson Actor and MC, the Mighty Mos Def has a long list of unique collaborations and projects including starring on Broadway in Suzan-Lori Parks play "Topdog/Underdog," playing a video store employee in Michel Gondry's "Be Kind Rewind" and hosting "Def Poetry" on HBO. Now Mos Def is one of the first artists to release his new album, "The Ecstatic," in a t-shirt format....
by Mike Giles Born Oskar Humlebo in the Swedish village of Färila, Moto Boy first fell in love with music during a boys choir rehearsal in a London cathedral at the mere age of eight. After joining a choir back home, discovering the guitar and then leaving home to study music in a neighboring city, Moto Boy spent his teens exploring jazz and experimental music....
By Mike Giles We are all fed up with the cat and mouse game when it comes to the legalities of current music distribution models and file sharing. The Swedish Model is an organization that consists of seven Swedish indie record labels working together to restore focus on the creation of music rather than the distribution of music in the digital age. A worthy cause,...
