FRAGMENTS - Nouvel EP "Landscapes"
Sortie le 7 avril 2014

Fragments : Sylvain Texier / Tom Beaudouin / Benjamin Le Baron

Titres enregistrés et mixés par JB Deucher au Studio Microbes (Villetaneuse)
Guitares additionnelles sur "Echoes" et "Paperclouds" enregistrées par Amaury Sauvé au studio La Senelle (Laval)
Prises additionnelles par Fragments
Mastering par Damien Tillaut

Echoes

watch video to this rework here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s484qRcd40s

Moderat - Bad Kingdom (Lambert Rework)

Taken from his forthcoming album 'Spells' out June 10 on Erased Tapes.

Pre-order the LP/CD/DL here: www.erasedtapes.com/store/index/ERATP085
iTunes: http://snip.ftpromo.net/spells
Spotify: http://snip.ftpromo.net/goldentimes
Bandcamp: http://snip.ftpromo.net/spellsbc
or any other good record store worldwide

"It's just incredible" – Mary Anne Hobbs, BBC 6 Music
“Strangely upbeat nocturnes" – The Wire

‘Spells’ merges programmed piano pieces with live instruments, combining the controllable technical world and the often unpredictable aspects of live improvisation. In some ways it continues where his underground debut ‘Gravity’ left off, though a lot of weight is lifted, making room for a lighter and more energetic listen. Friend and fellow Erased Tapes artist Nils Frahm mixed and mastered both albums. Ben is not a master pianist like his dear friend, but his sound collages are so meticulously designed that after hearing the result an impressed Nils declared: “from now on, if anyone asks – this is a real piano”. 

His intricate, humanised programming – enhanced by drummer Achim Färber, cellist Anton Peisakhov and harpist Lara Somogyi, and a considerate selection of echoes, delays and compressors – has been used to create a hybrid sound that intends to deceive, question and challenge existing listening habits. Utilising the contrast between reduction and decoration, ‘Spells’ can be seen as a quest to find out how much or how little composition is required to constitute a song. Why the ear can and should be deceived about the authenticity of instruments. What significance these instruments have within this process, and why the personal perception of balance and sound exclude ultimate truths. 

Linking the two albums are the four movements of ‘Nocturne’, an ever-developing conversation that on occasion flirts with the grandeur of compressed rock drums. The first single, ‘Golden Times 1’, received a world premiere by BBC 6 Music’s Mary Anne Hobbs, proclaiming it as "incredible." An alternative version of ‘Sleepers Beat Theme’ – composed for the soundtrack to a short film about the Trans-Siberian Express – opened Jon Hopkins’ Late Night Tales album from 2015, who noted “I thought it was such a calming and sensitive piece that sounded to me like the beginning of something...the warmth and depth of the sound entrances me every time”. 

Though ‘Spells’ and ‘Gravity’ are his first albums recorded under his own name, as acclaimed electronic producer HECQ he’s released nine albums since 2003, exploring everything from ambient to breakcore. He has simultaneously established himself as a trusted composer and sound designer, working for a wide array of clients including Amnesty International and Marvel Comics; composing for feature films, games, art installations and convention opening titles.

After embracing this demanding line of work, in 2010 Ben felt the need to explore his roots and early education, which inspired these albums under his own name. Born in 1981 as the third child of opera singer Deirdre Boysen and actor Claus Boysen, his classical music training on piano and guitar began when he was seven years old; the works of Bruckner, Wagner and Bach laid an important foundation. Rediscovering this music shared with his parents – united with the sounds of Autechre, Cristian Vogel and Jiri.Ceiver to Pink Floyd and Godspeed You! Black Emperor – brought back an understanding of why he wanted to write music in the first place.

“Finding my views understood, reflected and welcomed by Erased Tapes was an encouraging experience, crowned by the offer to release ‘Spells’ and re-issue ‘Gravity’ with them. Through many caring conversations with Robert I felt that there’s no better home for the existing ideas and no better cradle for new ones.”  – Ben Lukas Boysen 

TRACK LISTING:  	

01. The Veil  02. Nocturne 3  03. Sleepers Beat Theme  04. Golden Times 1
05. Nocturne 4  06. Keep Watch  07. Golden Times 2  08. Selene

Spells

Golden Times 1

Buy LP/CD/DL

Ben Lukas Boysen – Golden Times 1

A piece to represent the perception of the acceleration of time as we get older

Summer

21 to 21

Jim Perkins - 21 To 21

Bruce Brubaker - Mad Rush

Pre-order 'The Imperfect Sea' on Vinyl, CD and DL here: http://phonofile.link/the-imperfect-sea

The iconic Penguin Cafe join the Erased Tapes family and open a brand new chapter to their unique world with new album The Imperfect Sea – out on Erased Tapes 5th May 2017.

A penguin stands in the middle of a scorching desert, far away from its natural habitat. This mirrors composer Arthur Jeffes’ journey and exploration into a new musical territory. Penguin Cafe have evolved into something of their own at the hands of Arthur who started the band in 2009 with the continuation and homage to his father’s legacy, to the late Simon Jeffes’ Penguin Cafe Orchestra. Now, their upcoming album echoes reminiscent sounds that embrace the new.

The album title refers to a saying by his father that “we wade in a sea of imperfections…”, reflecting upon the idea that beauty can be found amongst the chaos. “If there is a narrative to the album it’s coming to the acceptance of the imperfections in all aspects of life; moreover, the recognition that these imperfections and tiny randomnesses are in fact what make up the best parts”, Arthur explains. This has also been highlighted by the striking cover artwork designed by FELD under the art direction of label founder Robert Raths, resembling a lone figure adapting to and accepting its surrounding environment.

Predominantly self-composed, the new album also features covers of electronic works by Simian Mobile Disco and Kraftwerk, along with a re-working of Simon's 'Now Nothing'. Arthur has developed from the traditional folk and jazz heritage Penguin Cafe Orchestra is known for into another realm of blissful ambience and dance music, recreated using strictly acoustic elements.

“For this album I wanted to effect a departure from where we’d been up to now. The idea was to create a musical world that would feel familiar to an audience more used to dance records but stay true to our own values. So we replaced electronic layers with real instruments: pads with real string sections, synths with heavily-effected pianos, and atmospheric analogue drones with real feedback loops ringing through a stone and a piano soundboard.”

On the day of release, the band will play a headline show at New York’s Le Poisson Rouge, commencing the beginning of this new adventure for Penguin Cafe.

Penguin Cafe - Cantorum

Poppy Ackroyd turned heads in the neo-classical world with her previous works Escapement and Feathers, as well as her involvement in Hidden Orchestra (Tru Thoughts). Advocated by giants of the genre, Hauschka and Nils Frahm, the unique musician has returned, freshly signed to Bjork’s label One Little Indian Records, with a mini-album, Sketches, to be released on 4th August 2017.

Sketches

Time

‘blind’ is a reflection about human limitations. Interviewed about agnosticism, David Attenborough brilliantly stresses the point whether we’re missing senses to perceive and understand the world around us - what a pretension it would be! Built as a subtle transition from acoustic to electronic, the piece blends genres, deconstructs categories, pushes back boundaries alongside a spectrum reflecting human’s potential to self-transcendence. Might we be blind at night, at least we aren’t deaf.

'blind' est une réflexion sur les limitations humaines. Un jour interviewé à propos de l'agnosticisme, David Attenborough s'interrogeait à savoir si nous possédions tous les sens nécessaires pour percevoir et comprendre le monde qui nous entoure - quelle prétention ce serait d’y croire! Construite en subtile transition de l'acoustique vers l'électronique, la pièce métisse les genres, déconstruit les catégories, repousse les limites en proposant un spectre reflétant le potentiel humain à l'autotranscendance. Bien qu'aveugles la nuit, au moins ne sommes-nous point sourds.

jeanmichelblais.com

Dans ma main

Jean-Michel Blais "blind"

single taken from the Robot Koch Album Sphere.
Out October 5th
Movement III written by Robot Koch and Julien Marchal

Movement III

Greg Haines - Azure

My Remix for the wonderful Keith / Helios.
Available here: http://unseen.bigcartel.com/product/helios-remixed

Jean-Michel Blais "blind"

Arts & Crafts

Recent comments

Daniel Zynn

Niko Kononov

Simone Thiele

niina rosa

Related tracks