"Right from the start", the first single and video clip from Tango with Lions' debut album "Verba Time released by InnerEar Records on June 21st 2010. 

Right from the start

Order the Ltd. Edition 10"/DL here:
www.erasedtapes.com/store/index/ERATP063

"If I knew I were alive, I could do so much better. If I knew what I had, then I could use it more wisely. If only I’d known before then I’d be in a better place already. If only."
London-based singer-songwriter Douglas Dare releases new EP, following on from his debut album Whelm. Named after album track Caroline and new track If I Knew I Were Alive, it also features remixes by fellow label mate Ryan Lee West aka Rival Consoles and Houndstooth’s own electronic producer Ross Tones aka Throwing Snow.

Caroline has always been a precious track for Douglas, one of the first tracks he recorded and a story in which he imagines his grandfather is writing to a loved one during the war. As the only song on his debut album that is stripped down to just his voice and piano playing, and it being a favourite amongst fans at his concerts, it was a natural choice as a first single.

The new track If I Knew I Were Alive Douglas wrote by creating beats, looping them and recording parts live. Dancing around to the beats in his room, he started singing melodies and coming up with ideas that he wouldn’t usually have, sitting at the piano. The idea that we can do a lot more if only we appreciated our own ability and opportunity encouraged Douglas to not take the track to anyone else to re-record it, but to work with what he had created himself.

“The recording has this demo quality, which I really enjoy. I love how revealing a demo can be. It seems to expose the fundamental ideas the songwriter had and the basic quality of the recording is very revealing. One of my favourite records is PJ Harvey’s ‘4 Track Demos’, where the songs are so stripped back that you can appreciate the finest details.” – Douglas Dare

Ryan Lee West, who crafted the Rival Consoles remix of album track Swim explains, “the track existed in a minimal state for a while, and I kept thinking something was missing. There's always something missing! And then out of casual chance, I was sorting through my portable recorder files, and I came across a recording of an installation that I did, which included four motors hitting glockenspiel or xylophone notes at random. I chopped it up in a few seconds and it worked perfectly. It adds texture and movement to the remix. But what's important about these sounds is that they are not in time. I think this remix creates sense of space, subtlety and physicality.”

"The original is so well put together, and the vocal so unique that it was a hard one to approach. I set out to reflect the beauty of the vocal in the intro, so that I could build it into something darker later on. This also mirrors the meaning of the vocal. The last sections are meant to evoke feelings of being washed away by a torrent” – Ross Tones about his Throwing Snow remix of Nile.

The cover photograph was taken by Douglas Dare himself; printed on silver card, so that the seawater shimmers against the light.

Douglas Dare and Rival Consoles will both perform a special in-store show at Rough Trade, presenting their respective EP releases, before embarking on an Erased Tapes U.S. West Coast tour and Douglas accompanying Fink throughout 13 countries in North America and Europe from September to November as their special guest.

TICKETS: www.erasedtapes.com/artists/events/22/Douglas+Dare

TRACK LISTING:

A1. Caroline
A2. If I Knew I Were Alive
B1. Swim (Rival Consoles Remix)
B2. Nile (Throwing Snow Remix)

MORE INFO: douglasdare.com · erasedtapes.com

Whelm

Caroline

Buy 10"/DL

Douglas Dare – Caroline

Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo - Pause (The Shadow Line Theme)

This World is over...

This World Is Over, It's Time for a New One

Buy on iTunes

Having already released 2 of the best albums of 2014 (Gin on Fika Recordings, and Boom Biddy Boom on wiaiwya) Stanley Brinks and Freschard are releasing Pizza Espresso - an album of duets, and a collaboration between both labels – at the end of August. 

Pizza Espresso is an album of love songs about drinking and drinking songs about love. Picture Emmylou and Gram relocated to Berlin with a guitar, a pennywhistle and a washboard and writing ten gorgeous duets to be sung on lazy summer evenings. 

“if you have time, and nothing on your mind, why, i’m free, for you and me” 

Stanley Brinks began performing officially as André Herman Düne in 1999, sharing lead vocals, guitar playing and songwriting with his brother David in the band Herman Düne for a number of years. They released several albums and toured extensively in UK, gaining and owing a lot to great support from John Peel. He has used many monikers for various side-projects, but since leaving Herman Düne in 2006, he has been known solely as Stanley Brinks. 
Born in Paris, Stan has been living between New York, San Francisco, Malta and Berlin for about a decade, always on the move. He has recorded more than 100 albums, collaborated with the New York Antifolk scene on several occasions, recorded and toured with traditional Norwegian musicians, and played a lot with The Wave Pictures. 

Freschard grew up in a farm in French Burgundy. Aged 18 she moved to Paris, where she baked pies and cakes in a cafe. There, a local musician and regular customer called Stanley Brinks wrote a few songs for her to sing. Homeless in Paris, she saved up just enough money to get herself a ticket to New York. There she found an old electric guitar and started writing her own songs. In 2004 she moved to Berlin, where she recorded her first LP, "Alien Duck". Her second album, "Click Click", recorded in 2006, features electric guitar by Stanley Brinks. On her third album, she plays the drums herself. On her fourth “Shh...” she also plays the flute. For this year’s “Boom Biddy Boom” she also plays the washboard. 

Stanley Brinks and Freschard will be touring the UK for 2 weeks in August (joined by The Wave Pictures as their backing band), including appearances at the Green Man Festival in Wales.

Stanley Brinks & Freschard - If You Have Time

All Your Promise

Archy & Mehitabel performing "Wait For Me", featuring Skye Corey on backing vocals.

Archy & Mehitabel - Wait For Me

Tindersticks - Dying Slowly

Phosphorescent- Song for Zula (Dori Hegyi cover)

Sublime & Jun Miyake - 07 - Chiquito

Love this song... Did a bit of a shit job with the cover but I dunno it's just a neat song so hey ho. Enjoy!!

Nostalgia - Emily Barker and the Red Clay Halo

Fika Recordings is a diy indie[pop] label run from London.
