Two great albums released today.
Wolf People is possibly my album of the year, but
Asteroid is up there too.
http://fastnbulbous.com/wolf-people-ruins/
http://fastnbulbous.com/asteroid-iii/
I haven't been around Head-Fi for quite awhile, but thought I'd drop by and see what's going on, good to see some of the same people. I've enjoyed your site and writings over the years Tony, and I've also been listening some to the new Wolf People today, and agree it is good. Not sure yet how good, I wasn't quite in the mood for it and it sounded a little closed in, so I'll have to revisit later.
The last couple days I've been totally hung up on the new one from Virginia Wing called
Forward Constant Motion, it's just so interesting and colorful and exciting, and lots of fun. For fans of adventurous electro-pop with reminders of early Stereolab and Too Pure label mates Pram, and maybe even going back to early Laurie Anderson for some inspiration, maybe some Cabaret Voltaire to, and some of those great Kosmische electronic legends. Very cool sound, the second song "ESP Offline" is probably a good intro, I've played that one way too many times the last few days. I haven't listened to the debut yet from a couple years ago, but it's supposed to be good. But this one seems really really good, so many amazing moments strewn about throughout that it is hard to take it all in, at times it almost seems too weird, but then all those thoughts fade away as it morphs into something truly beautiful. May have to spend the weekend really getting to know it, a very exciting find within a year full of them. I think most of the songs are up on youtube now. It does show up on Spotify ...
Spotify New Music Album Releases » ... so probably not hard to get a listen if you want.
There's a 9/10 review posted a couple days ago at the Loud and Quiet site ...
New line-up, new base, new sound - Virginia Wing are revitalised on their second album ...
For a band used to operating in such slow, smoky and dreamy sonic textures, Virginia Wing are currently accelerating at techno pace. Since their 2013 debut EP they have metamorphosed from a Broadcast-indebted dream pop band to a sprawling, unpredictable and deeply exploratory electronic two-piece, trading London as a base for Manchester in the process.
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‘Forward Constant Motion’ – an almost painfully accurate, to the point of irony, title – sees the group explore glitch, pop, ambient and a plethora of production techniques that feel extracted from as wide and far as contemporary R&B to Aphex Twin to Jim O’Rourke. It means the album’s palette is staggeringly vast and it’s a persistently challenging record. Crucially, it is also a consistent and profoundly beautiful one too.
And another 9/10 review today at Clash Music ...
Virginia Wing - Forward Constant Motion » ...
It’s hard to recall an album quite so pointedly titled as Virginia Wing’s second. In the two years since 2014’s excellent ‘Measures Of Joy’, the band has lost a drummer, abandoned the psych and post-punk elements that characterised their old sound and reconfigured themselves as an avant-electronica duo. Forward constant motion indeed.
Don't mourn — this is one of the year's most exciting musical reinventions, one that sees the band embracing new possibilities rather than narrowing their sound. So, ‘Lily Of Youth’ opens the album with a lurching, industrial clatter. ‘ESP Offline’ and ‘Grapefruit’ recall The Knife’s funhouse mirror electro-pop. And LP highlight ‘Hammer A Nail’ contrasts a thin Oneohtrix Point Never-style synth line with a clanking, mechanical beat before erupting into a juddering breakdown. It’s brilliant....
