Lonesome Golden Poltergeists

Let's close out the night with some unexpected bumps in the night courtesy of UK artist Poltergeists. In the past he has been likened to a mix of Portishead, Bon Iver and Aphex Twin, and whilst such influences can be found floating in the haunting mix, there is much more going on than mere decoupage. On second album Golden Stairs we have a plush exploration of atmospherics and isolation, effects that have come from writing a narrative before recording music to complement it, almost like scoring his own imagination. It's an ambient slowburn, and one that creeps into the subconscious surreptitiously, before it is scoring your own, most lonely thoughts.

Grab Golden Stairs here, it's a good little release.

Poltergeists - Q & A

I Love Laura 1200 Times Over

Here is an album that I didn't even know I was looking forward to!

Melbourne instrumental act Laura put out two great albums in the mid-2000s, Mapping Your Dreams and Radio Swan is Down, as well as live album (re)Capitulate. I came to the band from this last release and fell in love with these ambient rockers, quickly working backwards through these two albums. I then promptly went overseas and thought that was it - all was quiet on the Laura front. It appears that life got in the way - but Laura didn't disappear into the ether. Releasing EP Yes Maybe No in 2008 (obviously I missed that one), its taken over five years (or as band member Andrew puts it, it'll have been 191 million heartbeats) but a new longplayer is on its way - Twelve Hundred Times.


As complex and cinematic as ever, Laura are bringing forth their best album to date, and they are bringing it north to Brisbane, playing Woodland on Saturday November 19. Some of you may recognise the date - that is also when the massive Harvest festival touches down, featuring the likes of Flaming Lips, Mogwai and Portishead amongst its many amazing artists that will be on board. This really hurts for us Laura fans, but the band are intending to go on as late as possible in case you want to catch one more stellar performance that evening. There are efforts afoot to get em to play an early all ages instore on the Sunday - I will keep you posted on that venture. In the meantime, if you aren't going to Harvest, this is THE show to get to. Twelve Hundred Times is available now.

Laura - This Grey Earth

Real Optimo Love Down On The Factory Floor

Optimo Music are releasing the latest 12" by the jaw-dropping London 3-piece Factory Floor tomorrow. Released on 6th April ~ (R E A L L O V E) includes The Optimo (Espacio) mix, done by Optimo music head honcho JD Twitch alongside his sometime collaborator Dave Clark. Check out the result below. Over on the A-side Joy Division's Stephen Morris is on production duties, delivering a more faithful interpretation - this is set to further catapult this dark, hypnotic megalith even further into the black hole. Combine this with a busy summer period that sees them playing alongside visual dark wizard Chris Cunningham at the Roundhouse and also on the bill for the Portishead curated ATP London festival I'll Be Your Mirror, and the sun is going to die - or something equally as apocalyptic...

Factory Floor - ~ (R E A L L O V E) (Optimo (Espacio) remix)

Hearing Voices

LA's VOICEsVOICEs are two girls, Nico Turner and Jenean Farris, who have an affinity with dark pyschedelic ambience. They only picked up their tools of trade in 2008, and yet their music showcases a level of dense layered tones reminiscent of bands such as Cocteau Twins and Portishead, their voices entwining in a ethereal tapestry that drives the wall of sound rather than informs it. Their second EP (and their first on Manimal Records, home for like minded Warpaint) Origins has been produced by Prefuse 73 maestro Guillermo Scott Herren, and it shows. The track below opens the record in a truly mesmeric fashion.

VOICEsVOICEs - FlulykVisions