Video Vacuum - The Knife, Ancient River, Our Mountain, Spectral Park, K-X-P

The past few days have lain dormant on Planet Masala. Unfortunately real life has gotten in the way, once again (and Sunday was held over in a hungover fugue state). So let's finish off Monday with a series of cool videos.

We're gonna start off with Sweden's perennial ice demons The Knife, whose new album Shaking The Habitual is only a few weeks away. Hotly anticipated, and rightly so, as it's been seven years since their last album proper (they have had opera soundtracks and collaborations in the meantime). This is the video for second single 'A Tooth For An Eye', a song supposedly deconstructing maleness and leaders by offering up a cross-section of guys (all without much finesse, but with passion and verve) dancing to the beat of a young girl's drum/sparkler. It also continues 'Full Of Fire's promise of percussive undercurrents, proving that this album could be just as innovative and challenging as anything they have previously committed to. Very excited about this one.

I have spoken about Florida's Ancient River in the past (see here and here), and they are just releasing 'I'm Waiting For The Light'. This track plays like an amalgam of Black Angels (circa Passover)and Black Mountain (self-titled era) - two of my favourite bands, as you might well know - and the song is quite possibly the best thing I have heard them commit to tape yet. The video by White Vintage Vinyl is typically swirly and slightly spun-out, but it's the song itself that's the selling point. Get into the grind.

Now for the obligatory NSFW warning. VERY NSFW (unless you work in a gynaecologist's office or a sex shop). New York band Our Mountain have offered up this stark and very confronting video for their quite good 'IV Horses', which depicts still long-shots of the band members in full frontal nudity. Three penises and a vagina, long shots, this early in the day? The band stresses the video is an attempt to commentate on the T the subject of human anatomy, four humans, bare, still and focused; to simplify and condense, strip back to a one dimensional treatment, minimalism, all that kinda thang. I agree of course, there is nothing titillating about this work at all, but it's still a shock to the system nonetheless - which I guess is most of the point. You might recognise the girl as Abby Lee Krenshaw - apparently she's an Aussie fashion model, but I had to get someone to explain that to me. Either way, the song is garish and dark in a Snowman kinda way (lotsa tortured, anguished howls), which is a winner for me. Plus it was banned from Facebook and Youtube...so you have been warned (it's just boobs and junk!)



I haven't heard much from Spectral Park in a while, so was glad to find the video for 'Shells' tucked snugly in my inbox last week. Its washed out yet sunswept fare accompanied by a blurry VHS vid that marries up all the good points of Luke Donovan's songwriting, and I'm glad to have him back. The self-titled record is out now through Mexican Summer - haven't had a chance to hear it yet, but seeing as we are getting some last vestiges of summer here, it might be a worthwhile purchase - grab here.

K-X-P : Circles of Time(Live) from K-X-P on Vimeo.

Finally we have this live video clip of 'Circles of Time' from Finnish band K-X-P. Filmed at London's Corsica Studios late last year, the seven minute track is a kosmiche wonderland drenched in monochrome. I don't much else about them, but this performance is enough to get me started. They have just done a stint at SXSW and are floating around the US at the moment so keep an eye out.

NOW GET BACK TO WORK/BED (WHATEVER)!

Hits From The Box #44 - The River Runs Brown

So it;'s Valentine's Day, the day of manufactured love. Personally I don't give a shit. Or to be honest, I'm giving heaps of shit. Four weeks into the new job and Ive caught some weird bug that has me leaving the room in pain and ridicule. I should go home, but Hits From The Box beckons...


Brighton based dream/drone pop band Milk & Biscuits are somewhat of an English indie supergroup of last decade, what with members of Brakes, Electric Soft Parade and Jennifer Left sitting pretty amongst the ranks, yet their Balcony Times LP (out through Big Salad Records) is a distant relation sonically. The album lulls you into an amniotic coma, your ears dipped in honey, and whilst for me it hasn't stayed with me as long as I initially hoped, tracks like 'Trinidad' below show some really potential.

Milk & Biscuits - Trinidad


Spectral Park has been generating some sizable buzz on just a few demos and now this Factory Peeled EP. The one man project of Luke Donovan, Spectral Park is all swirling miasmas of gossamer sound, dipping toes in dream pop, ethereal post punk and white noise yet it remains grounded in the Afterlife. Whilst behind the scenes it's been tumultuous of late (having a baby and issues within the hospital - all thankfully healthy though) and promise of more releases in the latter half of the year, Donovan has a lot on his plate. Trust me, I'm eating it up...

Spectral Park - L'appel Du Vide


It totally blows when you discover something only for it to be at an end. Great German label Sounds Of Cobra put out In Psychic Defense, the new album by Clay Ruby AKA Burial Hex - and it's fucking solid. The sad thing is that this 12" - which offers choice cuts of noise, post-punk, a wise use of the rhythm, experimental wave and dark melodies - is likely to be Ruby's last under such a guise. He's had a good run (after hearing this release I've gone back to another dark album, Initiations, and a surprising split done with Zola Jesus). Apparently In Psychic Defense is "elaborated as a protection spell in psychic self-defense and the lyrics are from an old hymn to the Archangel Michael, always been seen as a leader and protector of the faithful." you don't need to play this thing backwards however.

Burial Hex - In Psychic Defense


I know very little about the guy who sent me his stuff under the name Unyield - although I think it's pretty cool. Hailing from Leeds, Unyield launches a minimalist-ambient-shoegaze meander somewhere between Grouper and My Bloody Valentine. His EP is called The Coldest Light. Please can someone inform us - because there is much promise here.

Unyield - Sinking


The folks over at Good Soil Records have released Motorcar, the debut longplayer by New God. There are many references to other, better bands here (The Beach Boys, The Dodos), but New God imbue it all with an elegance that belies first-timers. That said, Motorcar was five years in the making, which says a lot about the focus of this band.

New God - Motorcar


Finally we end the first "proper" HFTB of the year with 3 1/2, an LA band that are part of a musical collective known as Co Wave (which apparently includes another fave around here, Britches). Their First Recordings "EP" is an affecting listen, with lead Leila offering a wonderful lead vocals. Branches is a brooding number that supersedes the faux surf rock leanings that may have been alluded to (and the cats on the cover - oh, the cats!). It gets better from there too, with 'Hipside' having a Kills growl and swagger that is totally invigorating, whilst 'Cry Of The Russians' is a warped gypsy folk dance that grows with every repeated listen. I hope that people help out and go to shows, but merch etc, as these three are doing their best to shake up the world.

3 1/2 - Branches
3 1/2 - Cry Of The Russians

Happy Tuesday!