Minimalistilista

From the forthcoming 2CD compilation of remixes, rarities and unreleased tracks entitled "Memory and Matter", coming out on October 7 on Darla Records.

www.darla.com


"Memory and Matter comprises selected remixes and rarities from the past seven years, nine of them previously unreleased and many of them only issued only on hard to find EPs or as Japanese release bonus tracks. Far from being merely a collection of every single oddity, these tracks were carefully selected into a consistent whole that maintains the same high standard of proper Manual albums. This two-disc compilation is also a labor of love.

Like it's predecessor, Lost Days, Open Skies and Streaming Tides, released in 2007, disc one demonstrates Jonas Munk aka Manual's expertise in creating elegantly layered, shoegazey pop, while disc two focuses on minimalist, slow-moving pieces created mostly from processed guitars. The latter adds an excellent postscript to Confluence - an album that has gained near-classic status in ambient/drone circles since it's release in 2008.

Munk's way of remixing other artists usually involves a complete reconstruction of the original piece, rearranging heavily and adding loads of fresh layers of sound to it, which is obvious when listening to his haunting and atmospheric reworkings of Blue Foundation's ballad ”Dressed in Black” or Mice Parade singer Caroline's ”Sleep”, or the Robin Guthrie produced Annie Barker track ”Cruel”. For Manual fans it's a treat to hear Munk's lush signature sound paired up with (often female) vocals. Disc 1 closes with the 17 minute Manual original ”Camellia”, the most new age-indebted piece in the Manual oeuvre, originally created for a digital-only compilation on Attack9. The track's placid sense of drift and delicately weaved harmonies makes it a standout in Munk's entire body of work.

 Disc 2 is darker, more ambiguous in tone, with ”Three Parts” as the center piece – an enigmatic composition originally created for Ghostly International's ambient/drone compilation SMM: Context in 2011. Other notable selections includes  ”Fields”, a meditative collaboration with Jason Kolb from Auburn Lull, and ”Memento”, a somber piece that exhibits Munk's flair for intensive guitar manipulation."


Manual: "Miraparque"

Joshua & Ryan discuss their personal stories, as well as the format of their new podcast. Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Podcast 000 | Who Are The Minimalists?

Joshua & Ryan discuss best practices for decluttering, and they attempt to answer the following questions: What is one thing you always thought you wanted, but then, once you got it, you no longer wanted it? How do you gradually declutter your home? How do you explain greed in our society? What do you do with old photos after you scan them? How do you deal with the natural pulling away from friends with different values? When is The Minimalists’ documentary coming out? What charities do The Minimalists support? Do The Minimalists gain any money from their website? Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Podcast 001 | Declutter

Joshua & Ryan discuss minimalism approaches to technology, and they attempt to answer the following questions: How do you minimize social media feeds and not miss important info? How do you minimize your online browsing habits? How do you apply minimalism to technology? How do you embrace minimalism when your partner has no interest? What advice do you have for artists overwhelmed by art supplies? What was the most difficult thing for you to get rid of? How do you expand your vocabulary? How do you explain you don’t want things for gifts, but experiences? Is it better to donate items or to sell them? What does value mean to you? The Five Values in your book Minimalism are health, relationships, passion, growth, and contribution. If there was a sixth value, what would it be? Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Podcast 002 | Technology

Joshua & Ryan discuss minimalism with children, and they answer the following listener questions: How do you battle the clutter that comes with kids? How do you convince loved ones to stop giving you physical gifts? How do you help family members adopt minimalism? How do you determine which items to keep “just in case”? What advice do you have for buying a new, clutterfree home? How do you declutter when your partner enjoys material possessions? How can minimalism aid in the recovery from addictions? How do you determine which books to keep and which to give away? How do you keep minimalism from becoming an obsessive lifestyle? Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Podcast 003 | Children

Joshua & Ryan discuss the failures of the modern education system, and they answer the following listener questions: How do you get a decent college education as a minimalist? What are some alternative education options besides college? How do you avoid getting caught up in the “rat race” vibe from friends? How do you define success? Whom do you consider a success? Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Podcast 004 | Education

Joshua & Ryan answer a bunch of random questions about minimalism, including: What do you do about relationships you no longer want to invest in? How do you control your compulsion to buy clothes? How do you deal with the guilt you feel when purchasing things? How do you deal with people who say minimalism is wrong? How do you explain to people why it took you so long to finish college? How do you balance using tracking tools without getting overwhelmed? Have you ever felt regret after letting something go? Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast

Podcast 010 | Random

Yogi, artist, photographer, traveller, architect

Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus discuss living a meaningful life with less.

Podcast 010 | Random

theminimalists

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