Messages

1

ART / Re: watching

« on: July 23, 2011, 05:00:56 pm »

I just blew through the first season of Breaking Bad.  definitely a great show.  I did the same with Mad Men a year or two ago....really fun, dynamic television.

It only gets better.  And more intense.  Get ready!

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SELF PROMOTION / Re: Aquarelle 'Sung In Broken Symmetry' LP

« on: July 10, 2011, 06:58:21 pm »

There is now a pre-order page up on the Students of Decay site for all who are interested.

http://studentsofdecay.com/blog/?page_id=250

Thanks for listening!

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SELF PROMOTION / Aquarelle 'Sung In Broken Symmetry' LP

« on: June 03, 2011, 07:49:12 pm »

Preview my new record under the Aquarelle moniker. It's out at the end of July on Students of Decay and my first release on vinyl.

Soundcloud.
http://soundcloud.com/studentsofdecay/sets/aquarelle-sung-in-broken-symmetry/

About.
Describing the music of Aquarelle's Ryan Potts is a difficult task indeed. It's related to the hazy, heavily treated output of musicians such as Fennesz and Tim Hecker, but one would be remiss to locate it solely within the realm of electronic ambient or drone, as there are often strong organic, rhythmic and composerly elements to Potts' work. In fact, the title of his last record, "Slow Circles," might offer the best point of access into the Aquarelle aesthetic, in which compositional tropes such as cyclicality and accretion are woven together with surging, bright overtones, fragmented acoustic guitar melodies, and monumental distortion. Another point of distinction between Potts' guitar-based compositions and that of the laptop-wielding contemporaries and forebears amongst whom one would be tempted to locate his sound is the fact that he largely eschews digital, "in-the-box" processing. A self proclaimed "FX pedal fetishist," his compositions carry with them a boldness, depth and grit that is all but impossible to cultivate through DSP alone and aligns some elements of his sound with that of Scott Cortez/Lovesliescrushing and late-period Yellow Swans.

Using a palette of electric and acoustic guitars, vintage and boutique effects pedals and various percussion sources, Potts crafts highly detailed, slowly evolving soundscapes which beg for repeat listens so that one might get inside their myriad layers. "With Verticals" opens the record, blooming suddenly into a startlingly propulsive edifice replete with crackling, distorted guitar sounds married to quasi-Reichian percussion. Later, "Origin" sizzles and hisses its way into a staggeringly detailed drone opus before opening up into a veritable vista of acoustic guitar, cymbal and cello histrionics. A cohesive and fully immersive collection, "Sung in Broken Symmetry" is an assured statement from a young musician who is equally comfortable navigating frailty and violence. Mastered by James Plotkin. Edition of 300, first 50 on clear vinyl. Includes digital download coupon. Street date: 7/19/11.

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SELF PROMOTION / Re: Billy Gomberg 'Quiet Barrier'

« on: May 30, 2011, 08:18:53 pm »

Not a comparison I would immediately make, but, now that you mention it, it does make sense.

Thanks for the order, Darren, and hope you enjoy the album!

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SELF PROMOTION / Billy Gomberg 'Quiet Barrier'

« on: May 27, 2011, 03:22:34 pm »

He's a regular around this message board, but don't forget he crafts some extremely fine, detailed, and absorbing music.

Out now on Rest + Noise: Billy Gomberg 'Quiet Barrier'
Hear the powerful nine minute epic 'Partial to Appearance': http://www.restandnoise.com/releases/
Pre-order the CD which will ship in late June: http://www.restandnoise.com/store/

One sheet

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OTHER MUSIC / Re: what happened to spekk ?

« on: March 29, 2011, 10:29:50 pm »

There seems to be long gaps of absence and then they drop two or three CDs at once.  Seems like I've had the same thought on several occasions.

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OTHER MUSIC / Re: billy gomberg + offthesky "flyover sound"

« on: March 12, 2011, 01:46:41 am »

Yes!  Congrats Billy!

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OTHER MUSIC / Re: What are you listening to?

« on: January 31, 2011, 10:04:49 pm »

Good call, Billy.  This album is the jam.

Sic Alps Napa Asylum

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SELF PROMOTION / Re: Nicholas Szczepanik - Ante Algo Azul

« on: January 22, 2011, 10:15:03 pm »

Nicholas, those are really stunning.  This lack of money thing might not stop me from subscribing.  Seems too good to pass up...

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THE FUTURE OF THE MUSIC BUSINESS / Re: are record labels relevant anymore?

« on: November 11, 2010, 03:20:05 pm »

I cannot echo these sentiments loudly enough.  After starting a label a little over year ago I've run into many of the same things, where it's nearly impossible to get any response from some of the well-known distributors (FE, Boomkat, etc). 

I have four releases under my belt (the label is called Rest + Noise), and I take the approach of creating handmade, art-driven releases on cd and (hopefully in the future) vinyl.  Tying this into the other board of it cds are a dying format, I often run into the problem where my releases do not conform to typical cd cases/size.  Consequently, I run into this: I want to make a unique, personalized listening experience via packaging in hopes of keeping the physical format alive, but while doing that I only further limit my chances of getting noticed and picked up by larger distributors.  I'm really trying to avoid it being a lose-lose type of situation. 

In other words, you're not alone.

rene, believe me i hear you. the problem i've run into is that those distributors you mentioned will not answer emails from lowly newly-formed labels and, i believe, get all of their inventory from big-name distributors. it's too much trouble to deal with each and every label, accounting for invoices and sales, etc. is way too much trouble. i've tried a-musik and boomkat numerous times and i don't know why i don't get any responses. they aren't the only ones that do this; there are quite a few US distributors guilty of the same crime. experimedia, though, is a sort of god-send for new and smaller labels that get the cold shoulder from all the other big distributors. will it be enough? i don't know. but i will continue to send emails to the smaller distributors and online mail-order companies because something's got to give.

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OTHER MUSIC / Re: What are you listening to?

« on: November 04, 2010, 02:05:43 am »

Really like this album as well, I can't seem to keep it off the turntable.   And I don't even mind the sax parts!

Deerhunter Halcyon Digest 

what are your thoughts on this one?
this was one of my most anticipated albums this year, but apart from a couple of very good tracks, i find it quite underwhelming.. and i'm a huge fan.  maybe due to my heightened expectation, but i'm just not blown away by this like i have been by their previous stuff.

oh I totally dig it.  I was expecting something a little different form the last major album (which still spins regularly), and the band delivered.  there is one dodgy sax solo tho...

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OTHER MUSIC / Re: What are you listening to?

« on: October 27, 2010, 06:37:29 pm »

Yeah, it was a limited LP last year of only 500 copies I believe.  Beautiful handcrafted cover too.

Did you get away with only paying 99 cents for that?!

could be.. i'm only going by the iTunesrelease date.. which was october 20th of this year.. 6 days ago... but, for sure itunes could be behind the ball on this.. and i don't keep up with thrill jockey much to know the true release date...

nice 38 mins though!

the new Mountains.. "Etching" ... bought it on iTunes last night...

New Mountains? Isn't that the live LP from last year (on Thirll Jockey) or did I miss out on something? If so, gonna do some digital crate digging.

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OTHER MUSIC / Re: First music from forthcoming Brian Eno's album

« on: October 01, 2010, 06:37:28 pm »

Yeah, underwhelming indeed. 

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SELF PROMOTION / Aquarelle : US September Tour

« on: September 06, 2010, 10:21:30 am »

So, this is coming a bit late seeing as how we already played a show in Pittsburgh.  Anyway, all shows, unless otherwise noted, are with Hometapes recording artists All Tiny Creatures (featuring members of Collections of Colonies of Bees and Volcano Choir).  Aquarelle is also contributing to ATC's live set to fill out the quintent.

06 September 2010  |  New York, NY  |  Bruar Falls
08 September 2010  |  Washington, DC  |  Velvet Lounge
09/10 September 2010  |  Raleigh, NC  |  Hopscotch Music Festival  |  The Pour House
11 September 2010  |  Raleigh, NC  |  Hopscotch Music Festival  |  Lincoln Theatre  |  with Tortoise and Bear in Heaven
12 September 2010  |  Athens, GA  |  Farm 255
13 September 2010  |  Atlanta, GA  |  529
14 September 2010  |  St Louis, MO  |  Floating Laboratories
15 September 2010  |  Louisville, KY  |  Zanzabar
16 September 2010  |  Bloomington, IN  |  Rachael's Cafe
17 September 2010  |  Des Moines, IA  |  Vaudeville Mews
18 September 2010  |  Rock Island, IL  |  Daytrotter

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OTHER MUSIC / Re: What are you listening to?

« on: September 01, 2010, 02:21:50 pm »

Rosy Parlane - Jessamine

totally swallowed up by it.

I still think Parlane is one of the most underrated artists in this field.  'Iris' and 'Jessamine' are near classics in my book.  And it's about time for another full-length, I would think.