Pavel Milyakov & Yana Pavlova — strong-willed

Here is the debut, self-titled album from a.s.o., singer/songwriter Alia Seror-O’Neill, and producer Lewie Day. ‘a.s.o.’ is a thematic consolidation of the previous two singles and an impressive artistic progression. Day and Seror-O’Neill show they’ve mastered the format of the radio-friendly pop song and found how to subvert it completely. Across eleven songs, they have built a rich and compelling body of work.

We know where we are now, emotionally complex, trip-hop torch songs for club freaks. But the palette has broadened to encompass ethereal dream pop à la Cocteau Twins, slow-burning AOR-soul, and dubwise stylings. As a result, ‘a.s.o.’ is a satisfyingly coherent listen but never a musical monoculture. Variously there are nods toward Julee Cruise, Fleetwood Mac, and the uneasy listening of Portishead. It’s an album that wears its influences lightly, is never weighed down by them, and always sure of its own identity.

It’s anchored by Alia’s unique voice. Her words speak of restraint and release, taking us from the elegiac to the euphoric. This elegantly crafted, perfect pop music sounds like it has had enough of your shit. And Day’s music is the perfect foil; deep, slightly menacing, restrained, and powerful. The album has a cinematic texture, as with David Lynch; the seemingly familiar becomes uncanny and strange the closer we look. a.s.o. take our emotions for a joyride before leaving us floating in space.

‘a.s.o.’ is a journey; by its end, we all are changed.

Written and recorded by Alia Seror-O’Neill and Lewie Day at Quintagon Studios, Berlin and Palmerston Studios, Naarm/Melbourne in 2020-2023.
Mixed by Lewie Day except for Track 9 “Understand” mixed by Thomas McAlister
Mastered by Mikey Young
Artwork by Dylan Batelic
Words by Piers Harrison

2023 Low Lying Records
Cat. No. LLRLP001 – All rights reserved
www.itsaso.bandcamp.com

09 - Thinking

05 - Love In The Darkness

03 - Rain Down

01 - Go On

Digi + vinyl available to buy:
https://ellll.bandcamp.com/music

ROMANCE

ROMANCE EP

FROM MY NUMBER ONE HIGH/TAKE ME DOWN THE DUNES 7" SINGLE OUT JUNE 2016 ON DUNNO RECORDINGS DISTRIBUTED WORLDWIDE BY RUBADUB GLASGOW

'First track sounds like dark twisted fantasy about carnival in some cheap tropical spa. The other one will reach your guts and throw them upside down.' 

COVER PAINTING BY TOMASZ KOWALSKI

MY NUMBER ONE HIGH

Release date : November 7th 2016

LISTEN : https://wavinghandsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/le-croquis-de-la-femme

Le Croquis De La Femme" is a short tale about a mistress and a killing. How to do deal with an excessive passion when both parts are mad?

Both tracks were written, performed and recorded by Laurène Exposito in Rennes in July 2016 with the exclusive use of the Bontempi Eclipse. "La Mort De La Maîtresse" features Jeanne Moreau in Louis Malle's "Les Amants" (1958).

Limited edition of 60 ivory cream tapes with matching cases and rhodoïd j-cards. Recorded at our new home in the french Alps. 
Artwork by Laurène Exposito

Tracklist :

1- Le Croquis De La Femme
2- La Mort De La Maîtresse

WH013 EYE - La Mort De La Maîtresse

I. 2c 
II. Flutter
III. Moments in Love

out 04.28.17 https://boomkat.com/products/grafts

GRAFTS

Poetry, speech, melody and electronics combine on this limited tape from new sub-label ‘Purely Physical Teeny Tapes’.

A change of pace for PP, ‘Figures’ is also a divergence for the two artists involved. Emerging from Melbourne, 'Figures' is a rare artefact for devotees of both poetry and electronic music. The release marks a protean coming together by two figures with curiosity for each other's practice, forming a union between sound and speech to explore themes of bodies, time, language and power.

Lucy Van, who works as a post-doctoral researcher in English and Theatre studies, offers her poems in spoken form and also transcribed in full for the poster in the release.

Laila Sakini, a DJ who has recently emerged as a songwriter-producer, shapes music around each poem intuitively, adding context with restraint, in an experimental, yet pop-conscious process.

Initially developed as a one track hobby project for a noise and spoken word poetry night (which was cancelled), 'Figures' continued to evolve into a more complete body of work, with Laila leaking the demos on her NTS guest slots, leading to this eventual, finalisation of an EP.

The release is presented on a pro-dubbed all clear tape, packaged with an A2 double sided fold-out newsprint poster, all housed within a PVC heat sealed pouch.

Out June 2nd, 2017.

Mastered by Rashad Becker.

Edition of 100.

Laila and Lucy:

Lucy writes about poetry and photography. She is a post-doctoral researcher in the English and Theatre Studies program at the University of Melbourne, and an editor at Cordite Poetry Review. Lucy also writes lyric and prose poems, and has spoken at venues including The Slow Canoe, Station Gallery, and the National Gallery of Victoria.

Laila's role as a DJ and emerging producer/songwriter has seen her traverse between her home town of Melbourne and London. She has performed across clubs and festivals in  Melbourne and in various venues throughout London, Paris and Belgium along with art spaces including The National Gallery of Victoria, Carriageworks and The Australian Centre for the Moving Image. She presents semi-regularly on NTS Radio, has appeared on Boiler Room and has opened for the likes of Dopplereffekt and Optimo. Laila has recently begun producing, writing and performing live solo and collaborative works.

Laila Sakini & Lucy Van - False Ceiling

A1 from 'Envelope' released on Ekster 2018
BUY: https://eksterlabel.bandcamp.com/album/envelope