We are happy to announce that your fave Russian band Gnoomes have announced a new LP called MU! – released on 31 May. Listen to first track to be revealed from the album, the skewed pop of 'Sword in the Stone' above:
MU! is being released on LP/CD/DL. The LP comes in three ltd edition colours – 'Pink/Blue Swirl' from Bandcamp, and Red or Black versions from your local record shop. Pre-order here: Bandcamp Pre-save:Streaming sites - Press release: Gnoomes, the Russian outfit who blend a potent mix of psychedelic stargaze, kraut techno and kosmiche pop return with a brand new album, MU! their third for Rocket Recordings. Since the release of their last album Tschak! the three piece has turned into a quartet with synth player Masha Piankova joining the band. And it was the success of their tours in the UK and Europe that subconsciously created a template and tone for where the band would go next with this new album; to capture that surging drive and throbbing assault of their pulverising live shows. “We decided to make this record more live and less electronic,” Sasha, singer and guitarist from Gnoomes said. “We were thinking about how to make it sound more dynamic.” Masha’s introduction was a key one, with her replacing Sasha on synth bass whilst he moved over to second guitar to add a fuller and more impactful sonic crunch. MU! has been part recorded in the same old soviet radio station where the band recorded Tschak! part in a professional studio and then part at home. This was to ensure the best capture of Gnoomes live assault. The results brim with a magnitude and sense of coherence that belies some of the environment it was created in. Fuzz-driven guitars shift in engulfing waves, resembling shoegaze giants at their most ferocious, whilst elsewhere layered vocals stack on top of one another, weaving between pristine melody and augmented discordance. Whilst the glacial electronics and coldwave tendencies that soaked much of their previous album may be more absent here, this record pulses with an electronic tinge that bubbles more subtly under the surface of immersive guitars. The title Mu! has Japanese origins and comes from Zen Buddhism – something Sasha began to practise during past trying times - meaning both “no” and “nothingness” and the understanding that the acceptance of this concept can lead to enlightenment. “For me personally it’s a spiritual record,” he says. Although any sonic warbles of new age blandness couldn’t be further from the end results here. This is a cleansing record, no doubt, but one that washes over you with both brutal force and deft subtleness.
With the completion of this album, it also wraps up a trio of records all connected via punctuation – Ngan! Tschak! Mu! - but with one each distinct in its own tone and sense of evolution. From Bowie to the Cure to Moderat, musical history is peppered with great musical trilogies and now Gnoomes’ Exclamation Mark Trilogy can be added to that.
- The band are taking MU! on the road 18 May / RU / Perm / Zavod Shpagina 30 May / UK / London / Shacklewell Arms 31 May / UK / Manchester / The Peer Hat 01 Jun / UK / Newcastle / Cluny 2 03 Jun / UK / Norwich / Norwich Arts Centre (w/ Wooden Shjips) 05 Jun / UK / Southsea / The House of Rapture 07 Jun / UK / Liverpool / Phase One 08 Jun / UK / Bristol / Triptych Festival The band have a few dates to fill, so if you want to book them, please email: gnooomes@gmail.com ---
They say: A swirling haze of sultry vocals and fuzzy guitars and synth textures; London-based psych outfit Josefin Öhrn + the Liberation have shared their latest single ‘Feel The Sun’. The track is taken from their upcoming album Sacred Dreams, which is set to be released in April via Rocket Recordings. The band have seen a dramatic rise to prominence since the release of their debut EP Diamond Waves in 2014, which led to a nomination for a Swedish Grammy for “best newcomer”. Since then, Josefin and writing partner Fredrik have relocated from Stockholm to London and have created a new Liberation around them. The new band consists of; Maki (Go Team), Patrick C Smith (Eskimo Chain), Matt Loft (Lola Colt) and Ben Ellis, who’s worked with both Iggy Pop and Swervedriver. They recorded the new album Sacred Dreams at Press Play studios run by Andy Ramsay of Stereolab, who also produced and programmed his non synced drum machines for the record. With talented individuals surrounding them, Josefin and Fredrik are on track to release another altruistic record. Listen to ‘Feel The Sun’ below and follow Josefin Öhrn + the Liberation on Facebook for more updates... Read the rest here: Get In Her Ears ---
They say: Hirvikolari is a collaborative improvisational project featuring Chlöe Herington (Välve, Knifeworld, Chrome Hoof), Mike Bourne (Teeth Of The Sea, MƐTƏL) and Samuel Barton (Teeth Of The Sea). Utilising modular synthesizer, brass, reeds and FX and a fragmentary musical approach, they draw on influences such as John Zorn, Jacky Chaleur, Keith Fullerton Whitman, Jon Hassell and Oren Ambarchi to make music that is sinuous and unsettling yet somehow drawn to its own epiphanies. Hirvikolari’s first release Kalsarikänni was recorded live at Cafe Oto in July 2018 and is available now on cassette and DL from Jamboreeno records: Bandcamp ---
Hardway Bros have just revealed a remix of Josefin Öhrn + The Liberation's track 'Rushing Through my Mind' – the original track was taken from the bands 2nd album 'MIRAGE'. And now Josefin Öhrn + The Liberation's forthcoming album 'Sacred Dreams' is up for presale: Bandcamp ---
Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs have announced a series of new shows to add to their forthcoming sold-out Spring tour. The full list of shows now reads: March 27 / UK / Leeds / Brudenell *SOLD OUT* 28 / UK / Bristol / The Exchange *SOLD OUT* 29 / UK / Birmingham / Hare & Hounds *SOLD OUT* 30 / UK / Cardiff / Clwb Ifor Bach *SOLD OUT* 31 / UK / Liverpool / 6 Music Festival April 03 / UK / Manchester / Rebellion 04 / UK / London / Scala *SOLD OUT* 05 / UK / Brighton / The Haunt* SOLD OUT* 06 / UK / Bedford / Esquires *SOLD OUT* 08 / UK / Norwich / Waterfront *SOLD OUT* 09 / UK / Cambridge/ Portland Arms *SOLD OUT* 10 / UK / Oxford / The Bullingdon Arms 11 / UK / Nottingham / Rock City *SOLD OUT* 12 / UK / Leicester / The Cookie *SOLD OUT* 13 / UK / Preston / Guild Hall 14 / UK / Chester / The Live Rooms 16 / UK / Glasgow / King Tut's *SOLD OUT* 17 / UK / Edinburgh / Mash House *SOLD OUT* 19 / UK / Gateshead / Sage May 02 / NL / Amsterdam / Cinetol 03 / NL / Burgerweeshuis / Deventer 04 / NL / Sonic Whip Festival / Doornroosie / Nijmegen 10 / UK / Brighton / The Great Escape Festival 11 / UK / Gold Sounds Festival / Brudenell Social Club / Leeds July 21 / UK / Supersonic Festival / Birmingham August 15 / UK / ArcTanGent Festiva / Compton Martin 16 / UK / Green Man Festival / Glanusk Park 17 / UK / Cheese & Grain / Frome 31 / UK / The Craufurd Arms / Milton Keynes September 01 / UK / End of the Road Festival / Wiltshire October 17 / UK / Newhampton Arts Centre / Wolverhampton 18 / UK / John Peel Centre for Creative Arts / Stowmarket 31 / UK / The Brickyard / Carlisle November 01 / UK / The Parish / Huddersfield 02 / UK / The Lantern / Halifax 14 / UK / Sub89 / Reading 15 / UK / Moles Club / Bath
30 / UK / St James / Guernsey Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs albums King of Cowards and Feed the Rats are available on ltd edition colour vinyl and CD from here: Bandcamp ---
They say: Wen I was reimagining my website and thinking how I could refresh things, this album by Paisiel was pretty much the sort of thing I had in mind. The fact that it is being released by one of my favourite labels, Rocket Recordings, is perhaps a coincidence… or maybe just an indication of the way musical development is going… or maybe its not so much about the music itself but the terminology we place around it. In the final analysis a label is in the eye of the beholder, and so what one person might think is ‘psych’ may we be a complete anathema to another. This is one of the reasons why I have decided to move my writing from my ‘Psych Insight Music’ blog to this more genre-neutral one, because I really don’t want labels to limit what I write about… or what others expect me to write about. I am, therefore, no longer listening to this album by Portuguese duo João Pais Filipe and Julius Gabriel wondering whether I can locate it in a particular musical place, rather be more free about what I am hearing and what it says to me. Originally a cassette release on the ever-interesting Lovers and Lollypops label, this is a brilliantly eclectic album which takes in many musical styles and mixes them in a way that is both thrilling and suspenseful. You are never really sure which way the music is going to go… Read the rest here: Fragmented Flaneur ---
We are delighted to share that Rocket's very own Johnny O has been nominated for the Italian Vinyl Sleeve Design Awards with his Mamuthones 'Fear On the Corner' artwork.
It is a public vote so if your interested and like the sleeve then vote for your top 3 here: Best Art Vinyl
