Tag: ATH IT Department

Body of Light Share Bitter Reflection

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I recently posted about their full on new wave synth jam that harkens to earlier Depeche Mode or Japan. With the title track to their upcoming release Bitter Reflection, Body of Light goes with a movie soundtrack darkly introspective ballad, catching me completely off guard. The video features James Duval that you may recognize from Donnie Darko. Is it a step too far into nostalgia or glorious indulgence?

Body of Light will be in town as part of Oblivion Access on a day show bill with Drab Majesty and Choir Boy.

Lust For Youth release Giorgia

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Piling on to what appears to be a VERY busy day for jams, we have Lust For Youth releasing the single “Giorgia”. The track will be instantly recognizable musically with airy distorted synths, great riffs and a driving drum track. What changes here is the language. For the first time, Hannes sings in Swedish. You will still get that feeling in your chest, you will still nod your head in a melancholy that empowers. Interpret what you hear to be what you need at the moment.

Grab the digital track here. Of note, you can get their entire digital catalog for $42. Cool.

Body Of Light and This Conversation

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ATH has seen Body of Light a few times as they have played shows with some of our favorite dark-synth-pop-jams over the years. Two legitimately nice people hailing from Arizona, we can hear in the latest material a bit of a swing towards an earlier era new wave, still dark, but the build up has well-located hooks layered in front and behind the vocals and underlying atmospheres create an anchor for the more percussive elements to flourish. The imaging on this track is lovely; headphones or well-placed speakers in your listening area, chef’s kiss.

The new record called Bitter Reflection is due 6/30, but a pre-order gets you two tracks now.

Underworld And The Colour Red

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The absolute legends in electronica, to me at least, Underwold have released the video for “and the colour red”. The song uses a driving premise, minimal lyricism and trails off at the end hinting at the blend into another track, hopefully released soon. They are between performances at Coachella; those of you in the bay area should see them Friday at The Warfield.

While I have your attention about the band, be sure to listen to “Juanita 2022“, a reimagining of the front half of “Junaita/Kiteless” from Beaucoup Fish.

ATH IT Department Returns

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Time for a reboot.

Given all of the reimagining of classic characters (what are we on, the eleventyeth Batman?), I thought it was proper time to reset the ATH IT Department. Now, while I will pop some electronic jams up, there will be some new content. We’ll talk technology, how I listen to music to hopefully help how you listen to music, streaming, supporting artists, industry stuff. I used the Put Your Ass In The Know (PYAITK) tag in the past, a reference to one of the original technology bloggers from WAAyayayAaayyy back, and it will be a theme here. We can do simple things to make our enjoyment of music better.

Reach out, drop a comment, whatever path, what are some topics you would like to know on the tech end of listening to the music we love? In the meantime, here is a recently released track by Orbital featuring Penelope Isles. Optical Delusion, their tenth full length, is available today wherever you stream your jams, which by the way, for me is mostly Qobuz. Why? Lossless CD quality or better available for all tracks and high artist payouts per stream. Stream ethically and buy the tracks you love.

Profligate Hangs Up

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Profligate is a new to me, but not some friends in the know. Josh from Missions and Nathan from Austin Town Hall sent word of this jam. Those are two heavyweights in the industry. I’m sold. This is sparse and cold, dark synth pop from space. “Hang Up” is the first single from the pre-orderable LP on Wharf Records called Too Numb to Know. I get some Xymox and Yello (not the Ferris hit) vibes, yet having bits of playfulness peaking through.

Have a Nice Weekend + Cut Copy

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What’s a weekend? Is it Blursday yet? As we try to reopen, we must also try to be safe.

Cut Copy provides a beautiful slow jam to ease into whatever evening you think it is and remind you that “Love Is All We Share”.

“It was written a year ago about the anxieties of imagined future times, as technology becomes more all-consuming. But in light of recent events, the song took on an eerie significance. Now, with our immediate future uncertain and people the world over self-isolating, love more than ever, feels like one of the best things we can share. – Cut Copy”

Houses of Heaven Provides A Slow Burn

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Nathan sent this one over to me a few days ago as my recent listening habits have included a high proportion of darker synth stuff, even for me. Xymox, Joy Division and Lust for Youth have been on the turntable as recently as last night. I let this simmer, but had not given it an honest listen. While crushing spreadsheets yesterday, I had the headphones up a little higher than normal (HD660s on JDS Labs Atom, if anyone cares about such things and if you do, let me know and we’ll talk gear a bit) and this track popped up again with its layered percussion and synth textures that move forward methodically commanding attention. “Dissolve the Floor” landed squarely.

Houses of Heaven are Keven Tecon, Adam Beck, and Nick Ott. Surrounded by the backdrop of the bay area’s social inequities, they have put together their first LP Silent Places on Felte Records, digital now and vinyl 5/22.

Andre Obin’s Disconnect

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It has been some time since we have heard from Andre Obin. Out of the Boston area, I’ve been a fan for some time and thankfully, he returned the back catalog to the streaming services after remastering a bit at the start of 2020. “Disconnect The Wires”, hopefully a preview of what’s to come on his work on Cleoparta Records, is a perfect slice of darkwave. The tone is set with snaps and a distorted synth bass-line that evolves with the track as it builds. Put on your best headphones and let it rip as there is a ton of space between the elements that are introduced independently in breaks until it all starts to collapse in on you with an abrupt yet graceful exit.

Sharing Some Urban Heat

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Urban Heat Island Effect is now just Urban Heat. Austin’s Jonathan Horstmann (BLXPLTN, V3CO) has a vocal that is goth-wave perfection while the modular synth tones from Kevin Naquin move tracks forward and the bassline from Pax holds all things down. They now have the track “That Gun In Your Hand” up on Spotify at their new band page and this performance video for the remaining quarantine days below. Check it out and let me know what you think. I dig.

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