FRICTION NYC

Teeth Mountain Welcome You to Their Comfort Dome

Baltimore’s Teeth Mountain are a “free collaboration” of members that perform live in a space called the Comfort Dome, employing bowed saws, electronic loops, droning cellos, multiple floor toms, and a communal symbol to craft their sounds. You may expect a sprawling hodgepodge of free sounds complete with weird freakouts, chiming bells, and the smell of burning incense from that description. However, that’s not the case with Teeth Mountain. What the eight-piece outfit does, and they do it incredibly well, is create a controlled mayhem of weighty neo-tribal trance music, packed with organic organ tones, distorted cello drones, and a skilled singing saw. Part Indian, part African, part Balkan, and part Baltimore, Teeth Mountain will enthrall you in a rhythmic musical spell.

The band is prepping a three-way release on Discos Compulsivos/Luv Luv (50 CDR’s) in Spain, Illinois’ Nail in the Coffin Records (100 CD’s), and Virginia’s Shdwply Records (500 LP’s). Teeth Mountain play Brooklyn on May 30th at Death By Audio Silent Barn and June 6th at Glasslands, followed by a June 8th date in Philly at Big Rock Candy Mountain. Full tour dates on MySpace.

[MP3]: Teeth Mountain  ”Keinsein”
[MP3]: Teeth Mountain  ”Black Jerusalem”

CDR; 2008

M83 Saves Saturday’s for the Youth

A month or so ago I was lucky enough hear most of Saturday’s = Youth, the new album from Anthony Gonzalez, better known as M83. And although I only listened to Gonzalez’s fifth studio album just once through, I can confidently say that Saturday’s = Youth is the best thing I’ve heard so far this year. Keep in mind though, I’m a big fan of M83, so my opinion is somewhat biased.

The hazy shoegaze atmospherics and deep space textures of Gonzales’ past efforts are still present on Saturday’s = Youth, but the Frenchman loses the melodrama of previous records, crafting more structured songs with a pop mentality. M83’s recent composition, the eight-and-a-half minute “Couleurs” is driven by assertive thumping beats and glistening synths with an ambient fog hanging over layers of feedback, which is broken through by a trance-like rhythm as the song picks up in its later minutes. I’m really digging the less rock, more pop/dance aspect of this song and the record.

Saturday’s = Youth drops on April 15th via Mute and was produced by Ken Thomas (Sigur Rós, Suede, Cocteau Twins, Sugarcubes) and Ewan Pearson (The Rapture, Ladytron). The first single set to be relased from the record (following the already released “Couleurs”) is “Graveyard Girl.”

Gonzales and his crew consisting of drummer Loic Maurin, bassist/guitarist Pierre-Marie Maulini, and Morgan Kibby, who did vocals for the album lands in New York City on 6/3 at Music Hall of Williamsburg and 6/4 at Bowery Ballroom, while Philly gets the band on June 6th in the basement of The First Unitarian Church before they head to D.C. the following night for a show at Black Cat. Tickets are on sale now.

[MP3]: M83  ”Couleurs” (via)
Saturday’s = Youth, Mute; 2008

The Field | Sound of Light EP

The inspired people at Stockholm’s The Nordic Light Hotel have come up with a concept called “Sound of Light.” The goal of the project is to portray the entire hotel through music by inviting musicians to the hotel “to interpret the hotel experience and express it by making a record.” The first contributor to the project was local hero Axel Willner aka The Field. Willner came up with a four song EP titled Sound of Light with each track lasting around 15 minutes. The four tracks are meant for the morning, day, evening, and night to “portray all the various moods of the light and the hotel.”

Sound of Light is like a “classical” album, but comprised of all electronic elements; violins, cellos, and pianos are replaced by electronic beats and samples. Hypnotic and simply gorgeous.

Stream the entire EP at The Nordic Light Hotel’s “Sound Of Light” page. The only place the album is available (unless you plan on visiting the hotel and getting a hard copy at the reception desk) is digitally via iTunes. Check out The Field’s remix of Thom Yorke’s “Cymbal Rush” below (note: this track is not from Sound of Light).

[MP3]: The Field  ”Cymbal Rush (The Field Late Night Essen Und Trinken Remix”)