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Air Formation

Air Formation

    Brighton-based shoegazers Air Formation are set to release their self-titled sixth studio album this spring via Club AC30. Inspired by bands such as Flying Saucer Attack, Spiritual- ized, Explosions In The Sky and The Jesus and Mary Chain, Air Formation's music incorp- orates heavily delayed guitar and feedback, with droning keyboards, and ethereal vocals. Forming in 2000, long before spiritual forbearers Slowdive, Ride and Loop were consid- ered acceptable influences, the five-piece have been a mainstay of the modern shoegaze scene and have gained a devoted following, receiving critical acclaim from tastemakers including Consequence of Sound, Clash, and Louder Than War.

    Briefly splitting in April 2011 after the release of their fourth studio album 'Nothing to Wish For (Nothing to Lose)', they reformed in 2014 for a special one-off show to celebrate 10 years of Club AC30. In 2018, the band released the critically acclaimed album 'Near Miss'. "Time goes fast," says guitarist and vocalist Matt Bartram. "We're still figuring it all out. But most importantly, I think Air Formation still feels totally relevant. All the time we enjoy doing it we will keep at it," he adds.

    When it came to the writing and recording of the album, the band went back to listening to their favourite artists for influence including Bardo Pond and Mogwai to name a few, but ultimately, the album is influenced by all the Air Formation music that had come before. "How can we do something a bit different, but it still be Air Formation," says Bartram.

    From the blissed-out vibes of album opener 'Pressure Drop' to the anthemic guitar crescendos of 'Only So Much Light', Air Formation are masters of noise and effects, constantly exploring the outer limits of guitar texture and volume. On 'Finding Gravity', fuzzed-out guitars explode into beatific distortion, while 'I Don't Want To Talk' and 'Crashing Out' shimmer and swirl. Elsewhere, the deafening waves of noise of 'The Day After Day' and dreamy 'Sparks Dies' reveal a band who find the heart in fuzz, while album closer 'The Final Wave' is a gorgeous, heavily textured expanse.

    Air Formation is Matt Bartram (Guitars & Vocals), Ben Pierce (Bass), James Harrison (Drums), Ian Sheridan (Guitar) and Richard Parks (Keyboards).

    TRACK LISTING

    1. Pressure Drop
    2. Only So Much Ligh
    3. Finding Gravity
    4. I Don't Want To Talk
    5. Crashing Out
    6. The Day After Day
    7. Sparks Die
    8. The Final Wave

    Indigos

    Indigos EP

      INDIGOS, the latest export of Bristol's vibrant and significant live music scene, are pleased to announce the release of their heavenly self-titled debut EP. An effortless blend of 90s post-punk grunginess mixed with layers of psychedelic guitars and irresistible pop hooks makes 'INDIGOS' an enchanting prospect, steeped in that ever popular juxtaposition between dark existential angst and blissful summer licks. The 4-track was produced by Ben Johnson and IDLES guitarist Lee Kiernan.

      Taffy

      Deep Dark Creep Love

        "Nothing short of splendorious" - NME.

        "The Breeders are reincarnated via Tokyo with feedback and gossamer female vocals" - The Times.

        Critically acclaimed Japanese indie-pop four piece Taffy return this year with their fifth studio album. 'Deep Dark Creep Love' encapsulates the bands infectious, melodic take on the noise-pop genre, with a greater emphasis on big choruses and backing vocals than their previous work. The material has honed in on that classic Taffy contrast which is musically light but delves into dark places vocally. In tone it feels softer, but effortlessly dips into tracks such as 'The Bates', based on Psycho's infamous lead and his sinister relationship with his mother. At its heart, it's a record about love. Whether it's new, old, romantic or platonic, it's about love for the people and things around you, both a love-letter to their fans, as well as a deeply personal insight into romance.

        STAFF COMMENTS

        Barry says: Huge euphoric rock choruses mixed with shoegazey distortion and swathes of echoing guitar, all topped with a Japanese take on the Britpop aesthetic. It's a mix I would never have expected to sound this good, but I have never been more wrong, and I am often wrong.

        Pinkshinyultrablast, Russia's finest export, release their third album 'Miserable Miracles'.

        With vocalist Lyubov recently moving to LA, the band have been exploring new ways of composing and collaborating. Partnered with a line-up refinement, the new material sees Pinkshinyultrablast go down a more electronic path while experimenting with new sounds and genres (including inspiration from Japanese pop such as Chiemi Manabe and Yellow Magic Orchestra).

        Originally hailing from a city more synonymous with the State Conservatory than a gang of shoegaze addicts, the band have nevertheless seen great critical and commercial success since their debut album 'Everything Else Matters' and follow-up 'Grandfeathered'. They've been compared to bands such as Lush but this is no mere throwback tribute - due to their sharp, icy electronics and ability to subvert the genre, bringing something new to the table. They possess not only the spirit of late 80s/early 90s British bands like Cocteau Twins, but also machine-made sounds of the same era from Sabres Of Paradise or Global Communication, not to mention wider vibrations like Cluster, Popul Vuh, Terry Riley and Philip Glass.

        On 'Miserable Miracles' Lyubov's delicate vocals soar effortlessly above haunting ambience and ethereal embellishments complimented by driving motoric beats. Singles 'In The Hanging Gardens' and 'Find Your Saint' perfectly showcase the band's new, more electronic direction while retaining their signature quirkiness with layers of experimentation. Elsewhere on the likes of 'Dance AM' and 'Triangles' retrocentric 80's production highlights newer synth-pop influences whereas tracks such as 'Blue Hour' and 'Earth and Elsewhere' are blissful synth-wave soundtracks which give the otherwise upbeat album space to breathe. Together the third album from the innovative trio is one that flows effortlessly as a continuous piece of work and reveals that even within a genre so widely explored, there's still room for modernization amongst those willing to push boundaries.

        STAFF COMMENTS

        Barry says: Bordering on euphoric, Pinkshinyultrablast continue their domination of the saccharine-sweet Russian synthpop scene (a busy scene indeed) with this beautiful collection of retro heavy throbbing saw waves and angelic vocal sweeps.

        TRACK LISTING

        Dance Am
        Triangles
        Find Your Saint
        Eray
        Blue Hour
        Earth And Elsewhere
        Taleidoscope
        In The Hanging Gardens
        Looming

        Pinkshinyultrablast

        Grandfeathered

          Pinkshinyultrablast are a five-piece band from Saint-Petersburg in Russia, whose debut album, 'Everything Else Matters', released at the beginning of 2015 was met with huge critical acclaim. Headline shows across Europe, an energetic and committed fanbase, continued support at radio - all combined to make this upcoming second record one of the most anticipated in 2016. Around the first album the band were quoted as saying "we realised the local indie scene was totally boring and wanted to play something radically different". The vision of achieving notoriety outside of Russia has been integral to the band's philosophy - they are very much an international band now.

          A Russian band making a shoegaze record, was seen by some, as something of a novelty. The novelty was quickly eroded, firstly by shoegaze fans who awarded the band an invaluable seal of approval, but also by the music press, who quickly realised that they were not just 'any' shoegaze band. This was a band with widespread appeal, an engaging front-woman and a thrilling live show.

          They've been compared to Lush among others. But this is no mere throwback tribute. Grandfeathered is a more experimental listen compared with the debut album, it's the sound of a band unafraid to try new things and embrace those fine lines between visceral noise and restrained subtlety. The band saying of the new sound "The new album has been recorded and mixed much faster than the previous one. The songs have more density to them and are generally more complex."

          The band take their name from an Astrobrite album, an act who were, according to the band, instrumental in how they "researched spaces between ambient, heavy guitar and pop music"

          TRACK LISTING

          1. Initial
          2. Glow Vastly
          3. I Catch You Napping
          4. Kiddy Pool Dreams
          5. Comet Marbles
          6. The Cherry Pit
          7. Mölkky
          8. Grandfeathered

          Ringo Deathstarr

          Pure Mood

            "Ringo Deathstarr kick f**king ass" VICE "This Texan noise-pop gang make a thrilling racket" NME "Guitars drenched in reverb and effects, Ringo Deathstarr know their way around a catchy pop melody" THE GUARDIAN

            Texan shoegaze pioneers Ringo Deathstarr return with their fifth studio album. The aptly named opening track 'Dream Again' is sung by bassist G.G Alex, whose delicate voice echoes eerily over the spectral, otherworldly chords that pluck underneath. 'Heavy Metal Suicide' & 'Stare At The Sun' contain the same cathartic droning that has been previously celebrated by genre forefathers, My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive. Tracks like 'Never' and 'Boys In Heat' plunge the band and listener alike deep into the uncharted sonic depths of unadulterated, decadent sound. Elliott Frazer's vocals accentuate the eruption of noise behind his anthemic lyrics, dipping in and out of brief moments of clarity before bursting back into the manic grit of songs like 'Big Bopper' and 'Frisbee'. There's a daring clash of fury and fragility throughout 'Pure Mood' that demonstrates Ringo Deathstarr are not just reliving a scene, they're re-inventing it with their shattering use of chaotic guitars and haunting voices. 'Pure Mood' is a complex thrill-ride that's seeped in fervent shoegaze and lingering lyricism, proving Ringo Deathstarr are the torch-bearers of the movement and continue to contort and mutate into something beautiful.

            Taffy

            Darkle

              Following the widespread and critical success of their third album last year, along with a full UK tour, Japanese indie-pop four piece, Taffy return with their brand new EP. 'Darkle' spins dreamy, sugar-sweet vocals over 7 tracks, each under-pinned by the classic Taffy formula: psychedelic shoegaze noise-outs and Graham Coxon-esque 90's guitar riffs. The EP is a swirl of transcendental melodies, broken up by British pop sensibilities reminiscent of Elastica and The Stone Roses.

              "Nothing short of splendorious" – NME

              "The buzz has spread far and wide. We are wholeheartedly impressed" - Drowned In Sound

              "Something tuneful and great" - The Guardian

              "The Breeders are reincarnated via Tokyo with feedback and gossamer female vocals" The Times


              TRACK LISTING

              1.Suicidal Bunny
              2.Young Times
              3.Remember To Remember
              4.Dr. K
              5.HBD
              6.Young Times (Brian Jonestown Massacre Remix)

              Taffy

              Plus+++

                "The Breeders are reincarnated via Tokyo with feedback and gossamer female vocals" The Times "Hooks that grab you and refuse to be shaken off" Clash "Blows the cobwebs off all the '90s revivalist naysayers" NME "Finely executed indie pop" Music OMH Hailing from the suburbs of Tokyo, the ferocious quartet Taffy return with an intoxicating collection of B-sides and early material. Following their critically acclaimed second album 'Lixiviate' and a recent UK tour with The Wedding Present, Taffy are establishing themselves as a firm favourite on the UK scene.'Plus+++' is a kaleidoscope of fuzzed-up shoegaze pop gems offering up an unforgiving slice of indie. This catchy compilation packs a speedy forty minutes with nostalgic indie but its Taffy's infectious combination of punk, grunge and shoegaze that makes them stand out from the crowd.Taffy are Iris on vocals and guitar, Koichin on bass, Asano on lead guitar and Ken on drums.

                Exit Calm

                The Future Isn't What It Used To Be

                  Following on from the blown out psychedelic infused 'Rapture' released earlier this year, Exit Calm return with 'The Future Isn't What It Used To Be' out on Club AC30. The Barnsley based quartet return bringing with them an evolution of their sound that reaffirms their position at the forefront of British guitar bands. Immersing the listener straight into the tripped out mesmerising world of Exit Calm, 'Rapture' opens the proceedings with pulsating bass and blissed-out drums that set the tone for the rest of the album. From the cavalcade of musicianship throughout and on the breakbeat-tinged fury of 'Albion' to the Bunnymen guitars and groove of 'Fiction' the songs illustrate their passion for emotive song writing that invokes the spirit of their influences. 'The Promise' arrives with a swirl of 60s meets shoegaze that sits immaculately alongside stadium rock amidst post-rock and psychedelic tendencies. The cacophonous guitar and bass lines are set perfectly against the pounding percussion of 'When They Rise', 'Rapture' and 'Holy War'.

                  Ringo Deathstarr

                  Mauve

                    "There is a direct line between My Bloody Valentine, the Jesus and Mary Chain and Ringo Deathstarr. And it stops at Slowdive Central. If you retain any fondness for those three - and are mentally aroused by a spot of melody-heavy guitar pop - you will adore the 'Starr - THE GUARDIAN

                    "Their pulsing layers of feedback and those droll, deadpan vocals are ripped straight from Psychocandy, but the galloping, amphetamine rhythms are harder charging than even the most amped up track on that album" - Pitchfork

                    The Zephyrs

                    Fool Of Regrets

                      The stunning fifth album by Edinburgh's psychedelic magicians, The Zephyrs, their first release for five years. Originally tipped by Mogwai's Stuart Braithwaite, The Zephyrs have recorded for Mogwai's Rock Action label, Spain's Acuarela label and Setanta, and now sign to Club AC30 for "Fool Of Regrets". Starting as a solo album for Stuart Nicol, the recordings soon embraced the other members of the band and "Fool Of Regrets" began to take shape at Diving Bell Lounge studio in Glasgow, produced by Michael Brennan and Marcus MacKay, with a set of friends and guest players - Mogwai's Barry Burns contributed Richard Manuel-esque piano, Lisa Jen Brown, in the middle of a Gruff Rhys tour added backing vocals and Gruff Rhys sang harmony; and Mary MacMaster (contributor to Sting's recent 'early music' project) played harp. The Zephyrs do a beautiful and seemingly impossible thing - they manage to combine the epic grandeur of Mogwai with the country-rock of Gram Parsons. The songs flow with a psychedelic, somnambulant ambience - country music in slow motion.
                      For fans of Low, Mojave 3, and Grandaddy.

                      Malory

                      Secret Love

                      "Secret Love" is the first single taken from "Pearl Diver", the fourth album from the German shoegazers Malory. 10 years after their debut album "Not Here Not Now" was released they are back once again.

                      Wry

                      Sister / Different From Me

                        Back in their homeland of Brazil, Wry have released three albums over five years and they have toured Brazil with the likes of Man Or Astroman?, Superchunk, Mudhoney and Make Up. Now splitting their efforts between London and Sao Paulo, they have recently toured with The Subways and played with The Rakes, The Morning After Girls, The Cribs and Air Formation. This limited edition 7" features two shiny pop songs covered in layers of white noise. Both tracks are taken from their "Whales And Sharks" CD EP. An irresistibly gutsy racket to hold close to your heart!

                        Hearts Of Black Science

                        Driverlights

                          "Driverlights" is the second single to be taken from Gothenburg's Hearts Of Black Science album "The Ghost You Left Behind". It takes a leather-clad pinch of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and stirs it up with some soaring 80s synth-pop sounds and ethereal vox. A melancholic and dark pop melody, yet uplifting and positive at the same time.


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