Posts Tagged ‘Tough Love Records’

ULRIKA SPACEK – ” Beta Male / She’s A Cult “

Posted: January 10, 2016 in MUSIC
Tags: , ,
0

http://

‘Beta Male’ is taken from Ulrika Spacek’s debut album, The Album “Paranoia”, released 5th February 2016. space rock band Ulrika Spacek make their recording debut in mid February.

Described as ‘Krautrock meets MBV-style noisepop’ by The Guardian, the Berlin-formed, London based group were greeted with immediate heavy praise from taste making blogs The Quietus and DIY for their storming debut single She’s a Cult.
Debut LP The Album Paranoia due for release on 5th February through Tough Love Records has been preceded by a excellent series of appetite whetting preview cuts, running the gamut from the motorik buzz of Beta Male to the sweet psych pop of I Don’t Know. 

ULRIKA SPACEK – ” She’s a Cult “

Posted: November 27, 2015 in MUSIC
Tags: , ,
0

http://

Formed in Berlin in one night, longstanding friends Rhys Edwards and Rhys Williams conceptualised ‘Ulrika Spacek’ and came up with The Album Paranoia as their debut album title. Moving back to their shared house ‘KEN’ last summer, an ex art gallery in Homerton, they began work on the project which was to become 10 track experimental alt-rock masterpiece The Album Paranoia. Today Ulrika Spacek premiere their first gripping single, ‘She’s a Cult’,

Ulrika Spacek’s soundscape is a cross pollination of hypnotic fuzz, with Tom Verlaine (Television) and Stephen Malkmus (Pavement) guitar idiosyncrasies and intertwining feelings of both angst and melancholia. Drawing influences from Krautrock to Sonic Youth and the above, the two Rhys’ brought in three expert musicians to complete the live formula, which unified The Album Paranoia and ‘Oysterland’, a series of club nights curated by the band, showcasing their first live performances with art installations.

Live shows
05.12.15 – Unit 6, Hackney Wick, London.
17.12.15 – Oysterland at The Victoria, London.

Not far from Fews’ mesmeric drone-rock are Ulrika Spacek, a band formed in Berlin and based in London who have similar ideas about regulated rhythms and repetition, with an added layer of bliss-grunge (like krautrock meets MBV-style noisepop). The guitars are laid on thick like molasses; both pummelling and pretty. If you like the sound of that, you’ll doubtless love their debut full-length, The Album Paranoia, set to be released on 5 February 2016 through Tough Love Records. If you really can’t wait, you can see them live on Thursday 17 December at The Victoria in London.

COMMUNIONS – ” Forget it’s a Dream “

Posted: October 22, 2015 in MUSIC
Tags: , , , , ,
0

Copenhagen’s Communions are inextricably tangled up with the Danish scene that spawned bands like Iceage, Lower, Vår, and Lust For Youth: Communions share a rehearsal space with the former two bands (among others), and they have released music on Posh Isolation, the label owned by Loke Rahbek, who is a member of the latter two bands. But Communions do not sound anything like any of those bands. For my money, they are so much better! When I listen to Communions, I can hear some early Real Estate, some La’s, some Go-Betweens, but it reminds me of nothing so much as the Stone Roses’ 1989 debut — which is about the highest praise I can think of. The band’s self-titled debut EP (following a pair of 7″ singles) is full of warm gusts of spindly, spider-y guitars and heavy-lidded, heavenly vocals, all soaked in good LSD and set to bubbling, effortless, joyous rhythms. Very Manc for a band from Copenhagen.Watch the music video from Communions for ‘Forget It’s a Dream’ of their latest record ‘Communions EP‘ out worldwide on Tough Love Records and in Japan on Big Love Records.

GIRLS NAMES – ” A Hunger Artist “

Posted: July 9, 2015 in MUSIC
Tags: , , ,
0

http://

‘A Hunger Artist’ is the second song to be taken from Girls Names third album, “Arms Around a Vision”, out 2nd October 2015.

Where ‘Reticence’ was all primordial clang and clatter, recalling the best moments of early ’80s no wave and its forerunners – think Glenn Branca and Rhys Chatham’s respective guitar ensembles – bookending one of the most immediate, accessible songs the band have ever written at its core, ‘A Hunger Artist’ is an altogether more colossal and meandering beast.

While its chiming guitar introduction might again bear passing resemblance to Branca’s deft melodic interplay, its much quicker to cut to the chase. And what a chase it is: leading you over moonlit autobahns and down dark European back alleys. Drawing to mind Neu! and Roxy-era Eno, the Northern Irish quartet lay down a motorik groove that rarely lets up across its almost six-minute runtime, allowing gossamer synths and insistent bass to dance atop with aplomb.

Alongside this, the band are set to return to London for a one-off show this October (the 19th) at the historic 100 Club: a not-to-be-missed opportunity to see Arms Around a Vision brought to stunning life in the live setting.

UK/EU Live Dates
July 16th | Bagnacciuga, Fano, Italy
July 17th | Bolognetti Rocks, Bologna, Italy
July 18th | A Night Like This Festival, nr. Turin, Italy
Oct 19th | 100 Club, London TICKETS

 

COMMUNIONS – ” Summers Oath ” EP

Posted: June 30, 2015 in MUSIC
Tags: , ,
0

http://

Danish four-piece Communions have announced details of a new EP. Communions will be released on Tough Love Records on Monday 1st June. There will be two vinyl pressings – one on black vinyl, the other on blue available only from the Tough Love store (now sold out). Communions – ‘Summer’s Oath EP’: Tough love signings Communion are one of a raft of new acts on the London label doing exciting things at the moment (see also: Danish oiks Yung and punk-tinged outfit Cruising) and ‘Summer’s Oath’ is a good taster of why. With a large hint of The Cure’s brooding noir-pop, their sound is hooky but hard-edged.
The listing of the EP is as follows:

1. Forget it’s a Dream
2. Wherever
3. Restless Hours
4. Summer’s Oath
5. Out of My World

The EP is their second release on Tough Love Records, following the release of AA-side single So Long Sun/Love Stands Still at the end of 2014. The limited 7” sold-out and Pitchfork were quick to praise the A-side and hone in on their musical influences: “The song oozes effervescent warbles—from vocalist Martin Rehof, and the interplay of shimmering guitars, and lovely crescendos of reverb, reminiscent of early Stone Roses.”

Communions, is made up of brothers Martin and Mads Rehof, Jacob van Deurs Formann and Frederik Lind Köppen, are fast-gaining attention for their transcendent melodies, delicate guitar lines and emotive pop songs about naivety and youth.

Facebook – www.facebook.com/Communions
Website – www.communions.dk

GIRLS NAMES – ” Reticence “

Posted: June 11, 2015 in MUSIC
Tags: , , , ,
0

http://

Northern Ireland’s Girls Names return this autumn with their third full-length album, “Arms Around a Vision”, due for an October 2nd release via long-term home, Tough Love Records.

Pre-order LP, CD or limited edition cream vinyl
smarturl.it/GirlsNames.ToughLove

“We look to Europe for inspiration. For romance. For the idea of a better life,” says the band’s frontman, Cathal Cully, when discussing the album. “For me, living in Belfast just makes you focus on your own art.”

Girls Names formed in Belfast, but they’ve long considered themselves a European band. The distinction is important – their vision of Europe is one of weird, labyrinthian histories, blackest-ever-black coffee, and long drives to dismal places. Romantic notions for those of a certain disposition, but behind the thousand-yard stares they’ve always been a soft-hearted lot. As the title of Arms Around a Vision would suggest, they’re all set to let love in.

The band initially came together as a relatively lean two-piece back in the summer of 2010, but over the course of a handful of EPs and three very different albums, they’ve grown in number and ambition. Their last album, The New Life, was an unexpected underground hit in early 2013, taking the band around the world and garnering much critical praise, culminating in nominations for both the Northern Irish and Irish Music Prizes. Emboldened by the reception to that record, in March they returned with an 11-minute single that was played in full on Radio 1 and, typically, does not feature on their new album. Girls Names like to do things a little differently.

On Arms Around a Vision, they’re more widescreen than ever but also more direct and aggressive. The bass, drums and guitars are still there, but so are saxophones, organs, detuned broken guitars and pianos, and even sheets of metal assaulted with hammers. Conceptually, Arms Around a Vision acts as a love letter to European elegance – Italian futurism, Russian constructivism, Germany’s Zero Group and both Neubaten and Bowie’s Berlin.

Love and pain, romance and fucking. It’s all in there somewhere. Grand claims, perhaps, but in an ever bleak world, why not skygaze? The album opens with ‘Reticence’, a song in two parts that’s half metallic knockout, half midnight swagger. It sounds unlike anything they’ve ever done before, and is a perfect primer for an album that treads a course between Eno-era Roxy sleaze, Birthday Party dissonance and M.E.S’ three R’s: repetition, repetition, repetition.

As confident as it sounds, hardship has equally played a role in shaping Arms Around a Vision. “I’m not starving or anything, but I’ve practically been living hand to mouth since I was 22,” confirms Cully. “Most guitar music now is just a playground for the rich middle classes and it’s really boring and elitist. We’re elitist in our own way, in that we’re on our own and you can’t fuck with us when we’ve nothing to lose”. The near-6 minute ‘A Hunger Artist’ tackles that subject full on, addressing that age old adage of suffering for one’s art.

While the songs aren’t narrative-driven as such – the band still generally favour abstraction and ambiguity – there is a consistent underlying message: “We’ve got nothing. We’ve never had anything. And we don’t expect to. The only person I ever wanted to impress was myself. I’ve never got anywhere close to succeeding in doing that until this album. I’m proud of it. I think I can start saying I’m a musician now.”

Tracklisting:

1. Reticence
2. An Artificial Spring
3. Desire Oscillations
4. (Obsession)
5. Chrome Rose
6. A Hunger Artist
7. Málaga
8. Dysmorphia
9. (Convalescence)
10. Exploit Me
11. Take Out the Hand
12. I Was You

COMMUNIONS – ” Out Of My World “

Posted: April 2, 2015 in MUSIC
Tags: , , ,
0

http://

Danish four-piece Communions have announced details of a new EP. Communions will be released on Tough Love Records on Monday 1st June. There will be two vinyl pressings – one on black vinyl, the other on blue available only from the Tough Love store. Pre-order the blue vinyl pressing here – smarturl.it/Communions.12

The self-titled EP features lead track Out of My World and is accompanied by 4 other tracks, all recorded in their hometown of Copenhagen. The listing of the EP is as follows:

1. Forget it’s a Dream
2. Wherever
3. Restless Hours
4. Summer’s Oath
5. Out of My World

The EP is the second release on Tough Love Records, following the release of AA-side single So Long Sun/Love Stands Still at the end of 2014. The limited 7” sold-out and Pitchfork were quick to praise the A-side and hone in on their musical influences: “The song oozes effervescent warbles—from vocalist Martin Rehof, and the interplay of shimmering guitars, and lovely crescendos of reverb, reminiscent of early Stone Roses.” (Pitchfork)

Communions, made up of brothers Martin and Mads Rehof, Jacob van Deurs Formann and Frederik Lind Köppen, are fast-gaining attention for their transcendent melodies, delicate guitar lines and emotive pop songs about naivety and youth.

Facebook – www.facebook.com/Communions
Website – www.communions.dk

YUNG – ” Imaginary Calls in Yung “

Posted: February 26, 2015 in MUSIC
Tags: , , ,
0

http://

Formed in the summer of 2013 by 20 year old frontman Mikkel Holm Silkjær (guitar, vocals) in the north of Aarhus – Denmark’s second largest city and what locals would say, the current punk rock capital – along with friends Frederik Nybo Veile (drums), Tobias Guldborg Tarp (bass) and Emil Zethsen (guitar), Yung have spent the past year building up a formidable live reputation in their native Denmark. As their name would suggest, the four piece play with a youthful exuberance and feverish energy that leaves little chance to catch your breath.

Photo: Press

Growing out of Mikkel’s teenage dreams and the harsh reality of what is the everyday life of young adulthood, their debut international release,” Alter”, serves as both a vehicle for, and an escape from, the bewildered frustration of having to deal with life’s treadmill – trying to find a tolerable and meaningful place in the world, whilst wasting time at useless jobs in order to enjoy whatever little freedom that’s left; to hang out with friends; and, first and foremost, devote time to music. It’s no coincidence that “Alter” was written and recorded just two months after the band formed
Fresh out of Copenhagen, Yung are one of Scandinavia’s hottest new prospects, with apparently “hundreds” of songs already written and ready to go. If Iceage covering Nirvana sounds like your thing, then check out ‘Nobody Cares’.
“Alter” is released on March 2nd through Tough Love Records on limited edition 12” vinyl and digital formats. NOTE TO COLLECTORS – 100 copies will be available on red vinyl ONLY from the Tough Love Store.

Newer Entries