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[KvP]

Nest - Retold
I have both this and the new Eluvium on my Zune and whenever I try and listen to Eluvium I get a few tracks in before inevitably switching to this. I haven't had this strong of a reaction an ambient album since Selected Ambient Works Vol. II. Incredible music.

Precious little new Deaf Center material surfaced since Pale Ravine was released back in 2005, and what did lurked in dank and sinister shadows. With Erik Skodvin continuing to spiral into ever deeper circles of hell with his increasingly abstract dark-ambient Svarte Greiner solo project, what became of Deaf Center's other half?

It was genuinely refreshing to stumble across a netlabel like Serein that took such pride in its digital releases, and that went out of its way to produce excellent quality supplemental artwork that allowed individuals to create their own packaging. There's really no substitute for a physical copy of an EP or an album and it seemed that Serein understood this.

Fast forward two years and Huw Roberts has reforged Serein into a fully commercial label intent on putting out high quality physical releases, and the first of these certainly delivers on that promise. Enter Nest, the collaborative project of Serein label-owner Huw Roberts and that self-same other half, Otto A. Totland.

The eponymous EP by Nest was released by Serein in 2007 and was not only the great statement piece for the label but also a hugely successful digital release in it's own right. Now, a gorgeous matt-laminated six-panel digipak lovingly wraps those six original tracks (though "Cad Goddeu" appears in a revised form) up with five newly recorded tracks to form Retold, and the result is a true benchmark in the field of ambient and modern classical composition.

The reasons are manifold: it feels effortlessly natural and free from pretension; the composition is meticulously measured, emotionally charged yet never manipulative or sentimental; the atmospheres and ambience are subtle but utterly transporting; the pacing, arrangement and structure are pitch perfect. And Retold achieves all this with an elegant restraint that borders on the minimalist whilst simultaneously creating a deeply nuanced, layered and richly cinematic experience.

Links to the influential Deaf Center sound are still most prominent in "Lodge" and "Kyoto" (echoing Pale Ravine and Neon City respectively), the former led by repeated, chiming piano phrases and rustling effects, the latter a painting a watercolour picture of a redolent, morning dew covered Japanese landscape as metronomic piano keys lend further structure to plucked harps and dusty percussion. "Marefjellet" established a tense and almost surreal atmosphere as a maudlin piano waltz is haunted by suspenseful undercurrents of vibrato strings, while "Charlotte" occupies more romantic territory with lush and bright piano keys, warm, hazy pads and eastern bell chimes.

A direct comparison of the two versions of "Cad Goddeu" provides a perfect example of the application of Nest's precision and reductive attention to detail. The heavy processing of the originals quavering strings has been pared back, the dramatic, windswept atmospherics reigned in considerably. The result is altogether more subtle but no less powerful. And as proof that the structure and pacing of the original EP was also quite deliberate, the five new tracks that Retold adds all appear in a quite deliberately narrative sequence after the original EP's final track, "Trans-Siberian." Quite wonderful, really since, as more of a collection of field recordings than a drifting, layered ambient piece, it didn't work particularly well as a closing track in the first place.

So is there a jarring difference between the original and new compositions? You'd be forgiven for expecting that there would be given that these were recorded some two to three years later. Happily, though the new material may be more brooding and multi-layered, it integrates seamlessly with the originals, building even further on their drifting quality, interwoven quality.

The possible exception is "Wheatstone," which at first exhibited warring traits of sentimentality in its rather folky Goldmund-esque piano melodies. This cosy, homespun warmth is slightly at odds with the rest of the material, and it consequently draws a little too much attention to itself. "The Helwick," on the other hand, is a perfect example of how evocative such a minimalist approach can be, as both deeply affecting mood and melody are borne out of the carefully timed layering of many simple but meticulously produced acoustic and electronic elements.

"Far From Land" beams a surprising ray of pure magical energy into the proceedings, as pulsing drones and long, sweeping strings build to a staggeringly rich choral middle-section before melting away into coruscating piano phrases, and there appears to be an ever increasing density to the new tracks that culminates with the sensual, creamy abstract textures of "Amroth."

Any album that contains a track as strong and as moving as "The Twelve" deserves every plaudit it receives. It is the distilled essence of cinema and Retold's moment of post-tragic reflection. It is also one of its stillest moments: the underpinning monotone of a bass string drone; the irregular and mysteriously muffled peal of a lone bass horn or the swell of a subterranean chime; a lone violin that repeats a single, sustained note while another provides harmony and counterpoint; the delicate piano phrases that describe opulent, austere surroundings that provide the dreamlike backdrop to soul-searching introspection. This could be the backbone of a thousand different cinematic moments and is as moving as it is achingly beautiful.

It is difficult to imagine how Serein could have been more magnificently reborn than with the release of Retold and I hope it is the beginning of a radiant future for the label. The bar has just been raised ladies and gentlemen.

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http://www.mediaf!re.com/?h0jhiy0zy2y

[youthcant]

Smith Westerns are touring with Girls? Lame

quite the opposite. Since Girls are selling out shows in every state, Smith Westerns are provided with a interested crowd of kids.  If by that statement, you mean "man, i wish i could see them, but i don't want to see them with girls," you won't be the only one. Several folks left after Magic Kids and Smith Westerns played.

[tricia kidd]

I am a motherfucking scientist.

or someone shitting up a thread.

there should be an addition to the rules post that says something like "No making fun of what people post, it's free music you cunts".

[youthcant]

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http://www.archive.org/download/ca355_tc/ca355_This_Co__Untitled.zipThis Co. - "S/T"
This Co. is a Chilean band that combines Post-Punk and New Wave into a hybrid between rock and electronic. Thanks to its particular sound and meticulously designed stage show it creates an intense experience. She has BLOOD coming out of her ears, like a pulled pork sandwich leaking its meat. And remember, I was in Scotty Pippin's wedding party!


Xiu Xiu - Live (2006)

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http://www.archive.org/details/ca355_tcor

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http://www.archive.org/download/xiuxiu2006-05-17.dpa4061.flac16/xiuxiu2006-05-17.dpa4061.flac16_64kb_mp3.zipThe Internet archive has so many daycare services.  This one, a smooth melody, also available in .FLAC.   Xiu Xiu is my favorite.

Has its new album been posted here? Searched for, and no dice. I can up if subversively indicated.

Not medafire but, sometimes Archive is overwhelming, and requires some direction. That live set of Xiu Xiu made me a more of a fan. A terrific artist.  Intimate life conveyed with homosexual eroticism, encouraged by performing to a live audience, making way to the social acceptableness in large groups, which sure brings out the better in a group so solemnly sworn.  Conniptions aside, both are worth a download.

[JD]

I am a motherfucking scientist.

or someone shitting up a thread.

there should be an addition to the rules post that says something like "No making fun of what people post, it's free music you cunts".

It happens regardless of the rules.

[Kevin Barnes]

I am a motherfucking scientist.

or someone shitting up a thread.

Remember when you/your brother kept stopping into the mediaf!re thread on multiple occasions to describe how you/he was going to fuck your/his girlfriend, who was also a member at the time? I sure do. Those exchanges weren't exactly contributory. Except in terms of nightmare fuel, of course.

I get why you'd take umbrage, though. You/Your brother was exactly the sort of person who would take a very basic understanding of Marcuse to heart.

Also I forgot the other requirement for enjoying Bassnectar - a robust trust fund.

[Orcusmars]

Also I forgot the other requirement for enjoying Bassnectar - a robust trust fund.

Oh no! Someone made a post! About music you don't like! On the internet!

I should post some Capsule up in here. Hopefully their music will demonstrate my profound and deeply-held thoughts about Marcuse!

[JD]

Oh my godness. Are you taking Kevin Barnes seriously?

Adorable

[JD]

Since everyone liked Terrestrial Tone Cluster so much, have another one.

Handsomeboy Technique - Adelie Land

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http://www.mediafire.com/?gdnzdln1itz

[scarred]

Also I forgot the other requirement for enjoying Bassnectar - a robust trust fund.

And an anal fetish.

[JD]

Halfway there then.

[amok]

Wolfgang Gartner, the artist formerly known as 'Joey Youngman' (apparently). Makes filthy electro tunes. Loves a good classical mashup. The a-sides on these 2 releases are easily two of the best tunes of 2009 ('5th Symphony' was top of its genre chart on Beatport for the year).



Wolfgang's 5th Symphony / The Grey Agenda (320kbps)

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http://www.mediafire.com/?meunkjbw2nm


Fire Power / Latin Fever (320kbps)

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http://www.mediafire.com/?mtwmmfxzzkn

[youthcant]

Balmorhea - "Constellations" (2010)

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http://www.mediaf!re.com/?kzm3mfyuiuz
Wood-grained acoustic/instrumental, with a few woo-wahs, humphs and stomps. Taking a step away from what was its last release, this collection of tracks is more dissonant and haunting.

[onewheelwizzard]

BassNectar's music does not require whiteboy dreadlocks, trust funds, reckless pill and alcohol abuse, feigned understanding of Marcuse, an anal fetish, or even a lot of pot smoke to be enjoyed (although that last bit can often help).  All it really takes is enthusiasm for bass and breakbeats, and the motivation to move your body accordingly.  If you've got that, you'll probably get into BassNectar.

The best place to start would probably be Mesmerizing the Ultra or Underground Communication, although Cozza Frenzy is absolutely your best bet if your tastes tend towards the heavier and slower side of dance music.  It's not exactly "dubstep" but the comparison could be made because it's just so big.

Anyone who shits on BassNectar just proves themselves unable to have honest fun.  It's one thing to listen to it and be like "meh, this is too (heavy/indulgent/politically explicit/whatever) for me, I'll stick with my (guitar-based/singer-songwriter/shitty trance/whatever) music," but if you try to state that BassNectar's music is somehow objectively lower quality than really just about anything (or that you can only enjoy it if you exhibit some sort of objectionable quality), all you're really saying is "I desperately need to feel as if I'm cooler than everyone else in order to enjoy myself when I go out" and there's nothing attractive about that at all.  If, on the other hand, you think of a party as a place where the main objective is to throw down and dance, this music is your shit.

Thanks for the Handsomeboy Technique, Wolfgang Gartner, and Beyond the Wizard's Sleeve!  I'm looking forward to checking them all out.

[JD]

P.S. Eliot -  Introverted Romance In Our Troubled Mind[2009]

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http://www.mediafire.com/?run5y0nioyzLike you how you are
Really great diy pop-punk band.

[David_Dovey]

fffff goddamnit don't make me post that picture of Kevin Barnes' dick again

the man is not to be taken seriously

[meanwhile]

thanks sooo much for the Nest and the Balmorhea

[amok]

Kashiwa Daisuke - 5 Dec (V0)

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http://www.mediafire.com/?x1nknndttju
http://www.mediafire.com/?dvdkxnjdka4
'Requiem'

Review:

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lfgalbraith (3 weeks ago) Show Hide
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I orgasm every time I hear this.
I mean it is a really good song O.o


[A Wet Helmet]

Something bluesy and classy--here we go.

This is one of my favorite albums.  It's guitar porn, to be sure, but it's really classy guitar porn.  Double album from 1974, the amazing Rory Gallagher.  If you're a guitarist, you should probably have this guy's stuff in your collection.  From classic delta blues to rocking swinging stuff, with even just a hint of his native Ireland periodically making a cameo in the middle of a number.  This guy was just freaking unbelievable.    Allmusic says:

The companion piece to director Tony Palmer's documentary of the same name, Irish Tour 1974 was recorded that January in Belfast, Dublin, and Cork at a time when precious few performers -- Irish or otherwise -- were even dreaming of touring the trouble-torn island. Northern Ireland, in particular, was a rock & roll no-go area, but Gallagher never turned his back on the province and was rewarded with what history recalls as some of his best-ever gigs. Irish Tour 1974, in turn, captures some of his finest known live recordings and, while it's impossible to tell which songs were recorded where, across nine in-concert recordings (plus one after-hours jam session, "Back on My Stompin' Ground"), the energy crackling from stage to stalls and back again packs an intensity that few live albums -- Gallagher's own others among them -- can match. Highlights of a stunning set include dramatic takes on Muddy Waters' "I Wonder Who" and Tony Joe White's "As the Crow Flies," a raw acoustic rendering that is nevertheless totally electrifying. A frustratingly brief snip of the classic Shadows-style "Maritime" (aka "Just a Little Bit") plays the album out in anthemic style and then, of course, there's "Walk on Hot Coals," a marathon excursion that posterity has decreed Gallagher's most popular and accomplished statement -- a status that Irish Tour 1974 does nothing to contradict.

Rory Gallagher -- Irish Tour

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http://www.mediafire.com/?gdtmglflzmz

[JD]

Hey hey hey

This Co. that was posted a while back is excellent.

[juncopartner]

BassNectar's music does not require whiteboy dreadlocks, trust funds, reckless pill and alcohol abuse, feigned understanding of Marcuse, an anal fetish, or even a lot of pot smoke to be enjoyed (although that last bit can often help).  All it really takes is enthusiasm for bass and breakbeats, and the motivation to move your body accordingly.  If you've got that, you'll probably get into BassNectar.

The best place to start would probably be Mesmerizing the Ultra or Underground Communication, although Cozza Frenzy is absolutely your best bet if your tastes tend towards the heavier and slower side of dance music.  It's not exactly "dubstep" but the comparison could be made because it's just so big.

Anyone who shits on BassNectar just proves themselves unable to have honest fun.  It's one thing to listen to it and be like "meh, this is too (heavy/indulgent/politically explicit/whatever) for me, I'll stick with my (guitar-based/singer-songwriter/shitty trance/whatever) music," but if you try to state that BassNectar's music is somehow objectively lower quality than really just about anything (or that you can only enjoy it if you exhibit some sort of objectionable quality), all you're really saying is "I desperately need to feel as if I'm cooler than everyone else in order to enjoy myself when I go out" and there's nothing attractive about that at all.  If, on the other hand, you think of a party as a place where the main objective is to throw down and dance, this music is your shit.

Thanks for the Handsomeboy Technique, Wolfgang Gartner, and Beyond the Wizard's Sleeve!  I'm looking forward to checking them all out.

Just because I don't like something doesn't mean I'm purposely not liking it to feel cool.  In fact, I feel uncool for 'not getting it'.  I have been going out and having fun and dancing my face off for years and have never encountered this genre of music because to me it's kitsch but if it's your thing have at. 

[KvP]

Went over the streaming version on the Norman Records website and it is legit.

Since it's not out for a month, I'll just say that so far what I'm hearing is better than Quaristice (which for the most part was a collection of vignettes), and probably the best thing Booth/Brown have done in a long time. As far as sound goes the closest thing I can compare it to is LP5. There is a more ambient melodic element to the music that's been missing for a long time, and honestly I never thought they'd come back to this kind of sound. Needless to say it is very welcome. "known1" is standing out on first listen.

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http://www.mediaf!re.com/?zj1zmt2my5o

[onewheelwizzard]

Just because I don't like something doesn't mean I'm purposely not liking it to feel cool.  In fact, I feel uncool for 'not getting it'.  I have been going out and having fun and dancing my face off for years and have never encountered this genre of music because to me it's kitsch but if it's your thing have at. 

Great first post!

[Professor Snuggles]

Chris Brown and DJ Drama - In the Zone.

http://www.hustlemania.com/hustle/2010/02/14/chris-brown-in-my-zonerhythm-streets-mixtape/

Just a mixtape, but pretty much fire. Definitely worth a listen.

[JD]

Dunno, Soulja boy is on there

[Professor Snuggles]

Soulja Boy is the fuccin shit. trust.

[StaedlerMars]

jump up outta bed. turn my swag onnnnn.

[valley_parade]

Soulja Boy is the fuccin shit. trust.

Soulja Boy is the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen passed off as music in my life.

[amok]

Far Too Loud - Music For Machines (Part 2) (320kbps)

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http://www.mediafire.com/?m4njimzjkzx
Dancefloor Destroyer

crunchmatch (3 weeks ago) Show Hide
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fuuuck.. listen to the skills !

[E. Spaceman]

I will also state that without needing to disparage people's livelihood and hairstyles, i just find Bassnectar to be boring.

People can listen to whatever the fuck they want though.



Except The Black Eyed Peas.

[aflowerchild]

Soulja Boy is the fuccin shit. trust.

Soulja Boy is the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen passed off as music in my life.

Agreed. Like a BILLION times agreed.

 Oh come on! you gotta love the Black Eyed Peas! haha

[scarred]

nope

[JD]

Les Breastfeeders - Les Matins De Grands Soirs

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http://www.mediafire.com/?ennmnjjwfqy
Montrealean Garage rock with heavy 60s influence.

I've been listening to it for a couple of days and nothing else. It is fantastic.

[Scandanavian War Machine]

the black eyed peas suck.

at least soulja boy is funny and catchy

[JD]

Superman that hoeeeeee

(you can't be serious about that SWM)

[E. Spaceman]

The Black Eyed Peas are the worst act of the 21st century. I am not talking in hyperbole here.

[JD]

Rules:

No hot-linking images or albums. You can re-host images at http://imageshack.us.

Ensure your tags are correct and that you have specified both Artist/Album in your post.

Upload your files in either a .zip or a .rar archive to mediaf!re.com, in multiple parts if the album is over 100mbs. The reason for this is that we know mediaf!re is safe and efficient and allows multiple downloads. The ads on other sites, such as Sendspace, are known to contain viruses on the page. Get yourself checked out.

Post your link using code tags. It's the # icon above the policeman emoticon. This prevents the links from being traced back to the forums, lowering the chance that the wrong people notice the thread, potentially threatening Jeph with legal action.

Also, please do NOT request albums. This includes requests for re-uploads; if you miss it, try looking for it somewhere else.

Repost the rules at the top of each new page.

[JD]

The Black Eyed Peas are the worst act of the 21st century. I am not talking in hyperbole here.

Least deserving of their success anyway.

[E. Spaceman]

No, i am saying that taking everything into account there is not currently a music performer famous or otherwise  who is as bad as The Black Eyed Peas. There are artists  with worse songs and maybe even one worse record but when analysing their career span, The BEP are literally the worst act operating in the aural spectrum.

[KvP]

Oh hey what's up Puddle of Mudd you're certainly in a green room.

[abel]

No, i am saying that taking everything into account there is not currently a music performer famous or otherwise  who is as bad as The Black Eyed Peas. There are artists  with worse songs and maybe even one worse record but when analysing their career span, The BEP are literally the worst act operating in the aural spectrum.

Yea its sad what they became but their debut "behind the front" was a good album and after that it got worse and worse, now I can't stand them.

[abel]

It's been a long time old friend.... we have a lot of catching up to do.......

Ty Segall & Mikal Cronin-Reverse Shark Attack

Kinda lame description from their label but trust me its loud noisy and fast:
Ty Segall (solo work, Sic Alps, Epsilons) and Mikal Cronin (Okie Dokie, Charlie and the Moonhearts) bust out a 10-track delight of psychedelic garage jams that is sure to please the most scrutinizing rocker. Equal parts danceable garage rock and effects-ridden psychedelia, “Reverse Shark Attack” is a mind-blowing explosion of loud guitars, pounding rhythms and signature vocal harmonies. Ty and Mikal balance perfectly between Soprano and Baritone vocals, making for an outstanding listening experience. The B-side is a single 10 minute Beatles-esque medley that starts off weird, gets mellow and folky, then explodes into a Ventures-induced headache of smashed drums and wildly vibrant surf guitars. Definitely a winner, and nothing like either of their projects have done before.

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http://www.mediafire.com/?jmmufaiwyef
The Strange Boys -And Girls Club

More laid back but there's something about it that makes me listen over and over and over...from Dusted:
Strange Boys make garage rock stripped to knuckle bones and gristle, reaching back way past the Beatles to a Chess Records-ish mash of high slide guitar, second-hand shuffles, and woeful, wandering laments...The sound is raw and unfinished, the vocals wandering on and off key, the rhythms primitively simple, the recording low-grade and indistinct. This roughness may get in the way for the first listen or two, yet it’s part of the appeal for the long-term. Scratched up, indifferently tuned, coming in ghostly and pale like AM radio, Strange Boys’ first full-length has the banked fire of a slow burner. Put it on again and see.

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http://www.mediafire.com/?wjtgjm4zjyt

[pogonrudie]

^ Both those records are fucking spectacular, especially The Strange Boys. Here's their new record, by the way:


The Strange Boys - Be Brave

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http://hotfile.com/dl/27394381/b970144/The_Strange_Boys-Be_Brave-Advance-2010-404_nled.rar.html

[bwell]

I would just like to say that the Hold Steady is terrible. Bye.

[scarred]

Thanks for posting!

[juncopartner]

Just because I don't like something doesn't mean I'm purposely not liking it to feel cool.  In fact, I feel uncool for 'not getting it'.  I have been going out and having fun and dancing my face off for years and have never encountered this genre of music because to me it's kitsch but if it's your thing have at. 

Great first post!

Great attempt at a beard.

[scarred]

Can we make this thread off-limits to people who have less than 400 posts or something? this is getting ridiculous.

[JD]

hey hey look content
Diamond Sea - Slow Signal EP

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http://www.mediafire.com/?mmw0nyormi1http://www.myspace.com/slowsignal

Great band that unfortunately broke up in january.

Fantastic EP though

[the_pied_piper]

Just because I don't like something doesn't mean I'm purposely not liking it to feel cool.  In fact, I feel uncool for 'not getting it'.  I have been going out and having fun and dancing my face off for years and have never encountered this genre of music because to me it's kitsch but if it's your thing have at. 

Great first post!

Great attempt at a beard.

Poor attempt at trolling. Try to put in a bit more thought and effort next time. I give it 3/10.

[onewheelwizzard]

Just because I don't like something doesn't mean I'm purposely not liking it to feel cool.  In fact, I feel uncool for 'not getting it'.  I have been going out and having fun and dancing my face off for years and have never encountered this genre of music because to me it's kitsch but if it's your thing have at. 

Great first post!

Great attempt at a beard.

I was actually being serious.  I mean, you certainly didn't say anything I disagreed with or felt affronted by, or else I would've said so!  Your post stands in stark contrast to those in which people opted to voice their criticisms of my tastes by blatantly stereotyping fans of the music I like.  Your stance, as you stated it, was totally valid and I felt that your participation in the conversation warranted some degree of response.  You made a well-reasoned explanation of how you felt and why you felt that way, and I figured I'd respond in some way that didn't just retread everything I'd already said (which would waste everyone's time) but still acknowledged and credited your contribution.

Shitty second post though.  Lurk more.