This is the new single taken from my album 'Blood-Red Spark' (Released Dec. 2017 Hidden Shoal/Powderkeg Records) Click the Buy link for Free/Donate download at Bandcamp.

This song was inspired by the nymph Calypso who appears in the Odyssey, charming Odysseus and keeping him prisoner on her island until she is ordered by the gods to release him.  I wanted to write a song full of lush vocal harmonies that would express a timeless longing.

Calypso Wants

By any other name is a compilation of remixes of recently released tracks by Hidden Shoal artists. The album is available as a free download via Bandcamp and streamable via Spotify.

For By any other name, Hidden Shoal invited a number of emerging Perth artists to rework a selection of tracks from the label’s catalogue. With 11 artists reimagining tracks by Target Archery, Erik Nilsson, Glanko & Daniel Bailey, Summon the Birds, Chloe March and Isophene, what’s most striking about By any other name is both the expansive nature of the individual tracks, and the cohesiveness of the overall listening experience.

By any other name features remixes by Boy In Nature, Austy, Alexi, Michael Tyrie, Sue Summers, Ryan Jose, Daniel Zinetti, Crier, Cron, Shane Isard and JW. Boy In Nature infuses the languid tones of Target Archery’s ‘Opium Den’ with an effervescent buoyancy. On Michael Tyrie’s reimagining of Summon the Birds’ ‘Tactile Hallucination’, the structure of the song is inverted, with the epic climax acting as a cinematic scene-setter. Cron’s re-envisioning of Glanko & Bailey’s ambient masterpiece ‘Adiaphora’ injects the original with urgency without losing its sense of grandeur. And Daniel Zinetti’s brilliant deconstruction of Chloe March’s ‘Old Tre Mon Coeur’ breaks the original into a thousand pieces and then ejects them into space.

Hidden Shoal is an Australia-based independent music label and licensing agency. Since its inception in 2006, the label has earned a reputation for releasing and licensing exciting and engaging new independent music that is not bound by genre or style. Hidden Shoal has been selected multiple times as one of Textura’s favourite labels and has been dubbed “This generation’s 4AD” by prominent New York radio host DJ Mojo.

By any other name

Free Download

Erik Nilsson - A Tap At The Window (Austy Remix)

Target Archery - Opium Den (Boy In Nature Remix)

The first single lifted from By any other name, a compilation of remixes of recently released tracks by Hidden Shoal artists. The album will see release on the 19th August 2019, available as a free download via Bandcamp and streamable via Spotify.

For By any other name, Hidden Shoal invited a number of emerging Perth artists to rework a selection of tracks from the label’s catalogue. With 11 artists reimagining tracks by Target Archery, Erik Nilsson, Glanko & Daniel Bailey, Summon the Birds, Chloe March and Isophene, what’s most striking about By any other name is both the expansive nature of the individual tracks, and the cohesiveness of the overall listening experience.

By any other name features remixes by Boy In Nature, Austy, Alexi, Michael Tyrie, Sue Summers, Ryan Jose, Daniel Zinetti, Crier, Cron, Shane Isard and JW. Boy In Nature infuses the languid tones of Target Archery’s ‘Opium Den’ with an effervescent buoyancy. On Michael Tyrie’s reimagining of Summon the Birds’ ‘Tactile Hallucination’, the structure of the song is inverted, with the epic climax acting as a cinematic scene-setter. Cron’s re-envisioning of Glanko & Bailey’s ambient masterpiece ‘Adiaphora’ injects the original with urgency without losing its sense of grandeur. And Daniel Zinetti’s brilliant deconstruction of Chloe March’s ‘Old Tre Mon Coeur’ breaks the original into a thousand pieces and then ejects them into space.

Hidden Shoal is an Australia-based independent music label and licensing agency. Since its inception in 2006, the label has earned a reputation for releasing and licensing exciting and engaging new independent music that is not bound by genre or style. Hidden Shoal has been selected multiple times as one of Textura’s favourite labels and has been dubbed “This generation’s 4AD” by prominent New York radio host DJ Mojo.

This music is available for licensing. Email Cam at Hidden Shoal for more details: cam[@]hiddenshoal.com | www.hiddenshoal.com/licensing

Taken from Soviet Cities on the Moon, the epic debut release from Paraphon. The album is available for download now via Bandcamp (https://paraphon.bandcamp.com/album/soviet-cities-on-the-moon) and is also available for licensing (film, tv, web etc) via Hidden Shoal (https://www.hiddenshoal.com/licensing/).

Soviet Cities on the Moon is a soundtrack for interstellar travel. Like a warm, electronic bath it suspends the listener in its lush, sweeping tones and arpeggiated rhythms. This is the future we were promised but never eventuated. Paraphon crafts sprawling, mesmeric synthscapes for a future that never eventuated. This is cinematic music in the truest sense – immersive, narrative driven and emotive.

Soviet Cities on the Moon

Paraphon - Voyager L

'Further' is the first second lifted from the self-titled debut album by The Slanted City, the new minimalist pop project from Erik Nilsson. The album sees release on the 9th of October 2020. More on The Slanted City here: www.hiddenshoal.com/project/the-slanted-city/

The Slanted City sees Erik Nilsson shape the experimental instrumental work of his previous two Hidden Shoal releases with his exquisite sense of songcraft and pop nous. The delicate marriage of melody and tone in opener ‘Density’ typifies The Slanted City’s elegance and charm. Each part feels carefully placed, the song’s robust structure swaggering and shifting over its 5-minute runtime. Single ‘False Starts’ is as if Split Enz collaborated with King of Limbs-era Radiohead, insistent rhythms interplaying with expansive guitars, synths and Nilsson’s vocal repetitions reminiscent of Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard.

Gentle lullaby ‘Further’ hypnotises with its melancholic piano refrain, hushed vocals and subdued sonic treatments. And ‘Don’t Think of an Elephant’ further emphasises Nilsson’s compositional restraint as he gently marries the song’s two distinct movements before unleashing a wonderful fuzz guitar crescendo. Across these nine tracks and 43 minutes, Nilsson demonstrates a master craftsman’s attention to detail, resulting in an album that blooms on repeat listens.

The music of The Slanted City is available for licensing (film, tv, web and more) via Hidden Shoal.
www.hiddenshoal.com/licensing

The Slanted City

The Slanted City - Further

'To a Place' is the first single lifted from "Starlings & Crows", the stunning new album by English ambient-pop artist Chloë March. The album sees release on the 23rd of October 2020. 

More on Chloe March here: http://www.hiddenshoal.com/project/chloe-march/

For her fifth album, March drew inspiration from her early childhood in the Warwickshire countryside, nineteenth-century nature poet John Clare, and Lewis Carroll’s fantastical Alice Through the Looking Glass. Throughout the album there’s a palpable sense of wonder at the natural world, shot through with a deep concern for nature’s vulnerability. Starlings & Crows resonates with notions of home on a macro and micro level. 

First single ‘To a Place’ is an elegant waltz built around swooning strings and piano. ‘Landing 1969’ sounds as astral as its subject matter would suggest, pulsing at the same tempo as Buzz Aldrin’s heart-rate as Apollo 11 left earth. ‘Remember That Sky’ is achingly emotive, showcasing March’s innate talent for creating an atmosphere of intimacy without compromising compositional depth. Despite running to a succinct 38 minutes, Starlings & Crows is lush and expansive, while distilled to its crystalline essence.

“The latest album by Chloe March is another heady trip through electro pop... The air is thick with atmosphere throughout and March is a masterful creator of mood… a beautiful sound somewhere between The Blue Nile and David Sylvian” – The Underground of Happiness

Oft compared to singular artists such as Nina Simone, Beth Gibbons and Elizabeth Fraser, Chloë March follows her own independent path, writing, engineering and producing from her home studio in south-east England. Inhabiting musical territory somewhere between art song and folk, dream-pop and electronica, the ambient and the cinematic, March embraces all these influences to create poetic, emotionally charged and intensely atmospheric songs and soundworlds.

The music of Chloe March is available for licensing (film, tv, web and more) via Hidden Shoal.
www.hiddenshoal.com/licensing

Chloe March - To a Place

'Dragonfly Angel' is the new single lifted from "The Nomenclature of Kites", the second album from Perth-based indie-pop project Target Archery. The albums sees release on the 2nd of October 2020. 

More on Target Archery here - http://www.hiddenshoal.com/project/target-archery

Check out the accompanying music video here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz8iDXg8Mxk

Target Archery’s The Nomenclature of Kites further refines Target Archery’s incandescent blend of left-of-centre guitar music and Icelandic post-pop. The album journeys from Middle America and the absurd story of ‘Mad Mike’ Hughes, the flat-earther who built his own rocketship, to nights out in Perth’s inner east. Primarily written and recorded in the Western Australian wheatbelt by Ambrose Nock (Apricot Rail), the new album was produced by Justin Manzano and features contributions from Matt Harley (vocals) and Majuka Juber (vocals, woodwinds, pianet). 

“Sitting somewhere between alt-folk, alt-pop, and post-rock... Endearing, but not without gravitas, the music is playful and yet full of emotion and drama too” – Overblown on Clock of the Long Now
    
Following on from his work with Perth’s sun-dappled musical instrumentalists Apricot Rail, Ambrose Nock explores the fertile realm of delicate, experimental post-pop with his new project Target Archery. Influenced by the likes of Sound Dust-era Stereolab, left-of-centre indie-pop bands such as Lacto-Ovo, The Go! Team and Ninetynine, and a dash of late ’80s Sonic Youth, Target Archery mine an inspiring new seam of life-affirming melodies and instrumental texture. 

This music is available for licensing. Email Cam at Hidden Shoal for more details: cam[@]hiddenshoal.com | www.hiddenshoal.com/licensing

Download

Target Archery - Dragonfly Angels

Every note and every sound on this track is played by environmental sounds that have been recorded and fed into Audacity.

Alternatives To Despair (Part Three) by Neil March

DE FUEGO Y HIELO | OF FIRE & ICE

This piece is about contrasts, of calm and cool to passionate and fiery. The first section builds towards a climax where percussion and a bass are added to form a fandangos midsection. This is completely brought back to tranquility in the end section. The first part of the ending section contains a little “quote” of a piece by the guitar trio (DeLucia, McLaughlin, DiMeola) called “David”. That leads into a recap and extension of the opening theme which concludes the track.

I wrote it originally as just an acoustic trio guitar piece, but felt the urge here to add percussion and bass, to intensify the midsection.

As always I really enjoy your likes, shares and comments and hope you’ll enjoy this part VII of my Short Tales series! It’s nearing an album length! 

-Dan

Data:
All music, arranging, composition, bass & guitars by Daniël van den Berg, January 5, 2021
Guitar: Joan Cashimira, modelo 145, spruce top w/ cocobolo sides and back, Gata de Gorgos (Alicante), 2015
Recorded using an Apogee MiC.
Percussion arranged with samples from Sampletank and Flamenco Loops.
Mixed in Auria, masterered in Auria and Final Touch.
Photo edit by Dan van den Berg, 2021

De Fuego y Hielo

De Fuego y Hielo | Short Tales Part VII | Dan van den Berg

'All Things Good' is the third single lifted from "Starlings & Crows", the stunning album of last year by English ambient-pop artist Chloë March. The song is a delicate and evocative ballad, led by a vulnerable yet strongly flowing melodic vocal over gently propulsive piano. A wish-fulfilment and a spell of love and the healing sensuality of the natural world. Starlings & Crows has been featured in a number of Best of 2020 lists including Textura, Curveball and Mark Griffin.

“A stunningly lovely blend of electronic and orchestral jewel tones, sensitive vocals and diaphanous compositions, this record envelops and holds you to its chest where you can feel its beating heart.” – Mark Griffin

For her fifth album, March drew inspiration from her early childhood in the Warwickshire countryside, nineteenth-century nature poet John Clare, and Lewis Carroll’s fantastical Alice Through the Looking Glass. Throughout the album there’s a palpable sense of wonder at the natural world, shot through with a deep concern for nature’s vulnerability. Starlings & Crows resonates with notions of home on a macro and micro level. 

First single ‘To a Place’ is an elegant waltz built around swooning strings and piano. ‘Landing 1969’ sounds as astral as its subject matter would suggest, pulsing at the same tempo as Buzz Aldrin’s heart-rate as Apollo 11 left earth. ‘Remember That Sky’ is achingly emotive, showcasing March’s innate talent for creating an atmosphere of intimacy without compromising compositional depth. Despite running to a succinct 38 minutes, Starlings & Crows is lush and expansive, while distilled to its crystalline essence.

“The latest album by Chloe March is another heady trip through electro pop... The air is thick with atmosphere throughout and March is a masterful creator of mood… a beautiful sound somewhere between The Blue Nile and David Sylvian” – The Underground of Happiness

Oft compared to singular artists such as Nina Simone, Beth Gibbons and Elizabeth Fraser, Chloë March follows her own independent path, writing, engineering and producing from her home studio in south-east England. Inhabiting musical territory somewhere between art song and folk, dream-pop and electronica, the ambient and the cinematic, March embraces all these influences to create poetic, emotionally charged and intensely atmospheric songs and soundworlds.

More on Chloe March here: http://www.hiddenshoal.com/project/chloe-march/

The music of Chloe March is available for licensing (film, tv, web and more) via Hidden Shoal.
www.hiddenshoal.com/licensing

Starlings & Crows

All Things Good

Chloe March - All Things Good

British Composer, Singer, Pianist and Producer. My new album 'Starlings & Crows' was released October 2020 on Hidden Shoal/Powderkeg Records. Airplay includes BBC6 Music 'Exquisite..' and DR/P2 and the album appeared in many Best of 2020 lists including Textura 'No one sounds quite like her, either vocally or musically'.  My previous album was 'Blood-Red Spark' (2017)(Hidden Shoal/Powderkeg Records)nominated for an Independent Music Award. Discography includes 'Divining' (2008),  Dance/Theatre soundtrack 'Politik'(2008), EP 'Under The Day' 2014 and album 'Nights Bright Days' re-released by Hidden Shoal 2014.  Most of my music is available for Licensing, please contact cam[at]hiddenshoal.com for all enquiries.

My music has been played on BBC6, Radio Eins Berlin, Sydney's 2ser and appears regularly on Danish National Radio's DR/P2 'Nightfly' shows.

I also work as a guest vocalist/collaborator ~ most recently with American artist/producer Todd Tobias on 2018 alum 'Amialluma', also on 2015 album 'Gila Man', and with Australian electronica artist Liminal Drifter on 2015 album 'Troubled Mystic'  and German ambient maestro Jumpel on album 'Bloc4' (2013) all on Hidden Shoal.