Prior to Tangerine Dream’s forthcoming US tour kicking off in July, Brooklyn’s BAMcinématek is presenting a 10-film series highlighting the influential German group’s most memorable movie moments. Producing music for more than 40 years, Tangerine Dream amassed more than 30 film scores to its credit in addition to its many studio albums. Along the way, the group has inspired countless electronic acts and brought the group — and the movies — a massive following.
Danielle Turney
Contest: Two tickets and drinks for Kitsuné America compilation release party in Chicago
On June 2, French electronic label and fashion boutique Kitsuné and Chicago’s Beauty Bar team up to present the Kitsuné America compilation release party, featuring White Shadow, Giraffage, and Hey Champ (DJ set). After conquering parts of Asia and Europe, the growing label thought it was time to get closer to America. Thus Kitsuné America is the first of its compilations to extensively showcase American acts, all up-and-coming indie/dance artists. They are also opening a boutique in New York this April.
Review: Birthmark’s Antibødies
Birthmark: Antibødies (Polyvinyl, 5/15/12)
“Stuck”
[audio:https://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Birthmark_Stuck.mp3|titles=Birthmark: “Stuck”]The multi-talented Nate Kinsella (cousin of Tim and Mike Kinsella) has made a name for himself performing in or alongside a slew of out-there indie outfits, including December’s Architects, Joan of Arc, Make Believe, and Owen. As Birthmark, his densely layered solo project, he creates a sound all his own by experimenting with a variety of instruments to an effect that is whimsical and unusual.
Video: Tombs’ “Passageways”
Tombs: Path of Totality (Relapse, 6/7/11)
Brooklyn metal trio Tombs has released three full-length albums via Relapse Records, all to critical acclaim. Currently at the tail end of a European / North American tour promoting the most recent Path of Totality, the band is known for its dynamic, disparate influences that range from heartrendingly melodic to dense and chaotic.
Video: Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s “I See a Darkness”
Bonnie “Prince” Billy: Now Here’s My Plan (Drag City, 7/24/12)
Under the Palace name or his popular moniker Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Will Oldham — rarely letting a year pass without releasing a record — has been a monumental voice in folk music for nearly two decades. His staggering repertoire fuses a punk-esque aesthetic and classic Americana style with authenticity that is as thoughtful and honest as it is off-beat.
Review: Sleep’s Dopesmoker
Sleep: Dopesmoker (reissue) (Southern Lord)
“Dopesmoker” (excerpt)
[audio:https://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Sleep_Dopesmoker_excerpt.mp3|titles=Sleep: “Dopesmoker” (excerpt)]Since its adulterated release and subsequent reissue in the late ’90s and early 2000s, Sleep’s Dopesmoker (also released as Jerusalem) has stood as a monolith of metal. With its weighty, repetitive, hour-long opus, the stoner/doom-metal trio played a pivotal role in the evolution of metal by pushing conventions, well, higher. But under the weight of contractual issues pertaining to its epically lethargic piece, the band broke up before seeing a complete version of Dopesmoker available to the public.
Video: Castratii’s “Kingdom”
Castratii: Eora (Time No Place, 6/12/12)
Forged in an ethereal, ghostly sound, Australian dream-pop group Castratti began life in 2007 when visual artists Beauvais Cassidy and Jonathon Wilson joined forces. In 2010, they were joined by vocalist Leila Moss of The Duke Spirit, who now provides another haunting layer to an already deeply textured style.
The trio’s ’80s-influenced electro-ambient sound, which is performed live in complete darkness, captures the eerie, volatile qualities of the Australian wilderness that is the group’s backyard. The high-contrast video for “Kingdom,” the first single from the band’s debut full-length, creates a stark and sensual experience with Moss’ dreamy vocals, industrial undertones, and dissociated imagery.
Review: Portland Cello Project’s Homage
Portland Cello Project: Homage (Jealous Butcher)
“H*A*M” (Kanye West & Jay-Z)
[audio:https://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/05-H_A_M.mp3|titles=Portland Cello Project: “H*A*M”]Since 2007, the Portland Cello Project has taken the cello where few have gone before, offering chamber and string-based renditions of movie themes, pop songs, classical pieces, and more — even metal tunes such as Pantera’s “Mouth for War.” The group’s live and recorded output now boasts more than 900 pieces, varying between straightforward arrangements with a handful of cellos to setups of grandiose proportions, with a dozen of its namesake instrument being supported by full choirs, winds, and percussion.
MP3 Premiere: William Brittelle & ACME’s “Future Shock for String Quartet, Mvmt. 2”
William Brittelle & ACME: Loving the Chambered Nautilus (New Amsterdam, 6/26/12)
“Future Shock for String Quartet, Mvmt. 2”
[audio:https://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/02-Future-Shock-for-String-Quartet-Mvmt.-2.mp3|titles=Future Shock for String Quartet, Mvmt. 2]In the summer of 2010, Brooklyn-based composer/performer William Brittelle released Television Landscape, an art-rock epic that combined rock, pop, and classical in infectious song structures. Next month, Brittelle makes his return with Loving the Chambered Nautilus, composed for (and likewise performed by) the American Contemporary Music Ensemble (ACME), a talented collection of chamber players. On Nautilus, Brittelle focuses more on progressive arrangements, creating a highly psychological, imaginative experience of true musical sustenance.
Video: Violens’ “All Night Low”
Violens: True (Slumberland Records, 5/15/12)
New York-based indie triumvirate Violens returns next week with True, the ’80s-flavored group’s full-length followup to Amoral. With True, the trio continues to evade easy classification, crafting a divine maelstrom of 30 years of sound.
Video: Nick Waterhouse’s “Some Place”
Nick Waterhouse: Time’s All Gone (Innovative Leisure, 5/1/12)
DJ-turned-front-man Nick Waterhouse plays old-school rhythm and blues with the verve and charisma of his age (25). He wears Buddy Holly glasses, sweater vests, and two-piece suits, but there’s nothing cheesy or overly revivalist about his swinging tunes.
Afro-Punk Pictures presents: The Triptych documentary series
Presented by Afro-Punk Pictures in association with New York City’s Weeksville Heritage Center, The Triptych documentary series is using three 20-minute films to profile three compelling visual artists: Sanford Biggers, Wangechi Mutu, and Barron Claiborne. Amid intimate conversations about the ways that individual experience helps shape art, The Triptych focuses on a range of artistic mediums and perspectives.