Jesp – “Eat My Heart” (Sharks vs Mermaids Edit)

Posted on July 5, 2011 by jon @ aerial noise

“I love Miami. I am from Miami. I take from Miami. I represent Miami to the rest of the world as a recording/performing artist.” – Jesp

It’s beginning to get warm and beautiful in Los Angeles, but Jesp has me thinking about TropiChops, Cuban Coffee, and deco adorned with neon. J. Espinoza proudly embodies the current Miami scene with his brand of electro-noir-pop that embraces the city’s darker side in a way that would send shivers up and down the back of Michael Mann’s neck. Since emerging on the Miami scene on June 5, 2009 @ Vagabond Fridays, Espinoza has worked diligently to hone his sound into something endemic to Miami, and the Magic City has responded with positive press reviews, radio play, and packed houses. I’ve always felt like Miami mirrors the same bi-polar feel of LA after nightfall, and Jesp’s music speaks to the nocturnal theatrics of any pulsating, incendiary, South-Floridian dance hole. Now in summer 2011, Jesp’s imagery has myself and others seriously considering taking our talents to South Beach, as he readies to release his highly anticipated EP Step Into the Dark. He introduced himself to us with his new track “Eat My Heart (Sharks vs Mermaids Edit)”, and his soundcloud is very strong, including a couple of personal favorites you can enjoy below, and keep watch as Jesp prepares to drop the Step Into the Dark EP…

Jesp-Eat My Heart (Sharks vs Mermaids Edit) by JespMusic
Jesp-Rising Sun by JespMusic
Jesp-Removing the Heartache by JespMusic

Southern Shores – “Night Is Young”

Posted on June 22, 2011 by jon @ aerial noise

Cascine currently has a very impressive stable of artists. We told you about Realism, the debut album by Cascine artist Shine 2009, as well as the first single from Chad Valley’s shimmering new EP on Cascine , entitled Equatorial Ultravox. Cascine seems to be the place for dreamy, blissful music, by artists dabbling in neo-Shoegaze, and, just in time for the summer solstice, Southern Shores have taken that recipe and added a tropical garnish to something already soothingly beautiful. The Atlantic EP, out July 12 on Cascine, is six enchanting songs where Southern Shores prove you can lower the BPM while elevating your heat-rate. “Night Is Young” is a vivid flashback of every perfectly wasted summer evening spent on the beach, gently swaying your hips and waiting for the sun to rise. I’d often wondered, “What if The Cocteau Twins played at a beach party???”. I’m left to wonder no longer, thankfully. I love how palm trees are peppered about urban centers as a reminder of places where the trees occur naturally, and for all of Atlantic‘s exotic locales, Southern Shores aims the focus not towards a specific destination, but rather an undisturbed fantasy. Atlantic is a hopeful prayer that paradise is out there, someplace, and wherever you experience the music, you can rest assured that beautiful places are waiting to be explored and adventures are always on standby…

Southern Shores on Facebook!

Southern Shores – 04 Night Is Young by CASCINE

Chad Valley – Now That I’m Real (Courtship Remix)

Posted on June 16, 2011 by jon @ aerial noise

The first single from Chad Valley’s shimmering new EP on Cascine , entitled Equatorial Ultravox, is ’Now That I’m Real’, an uplifting ode to the fragility surrounding adolescence dreams. The track’s corresponding video was directed by Cascine‘s Lucy Bridger, and seeks to capture the endless quest for “completeness through perfect circles”. The remix was done by the Bay Area’s Courtship, AKA Patric Fallon, and it really picks apart the original, and strips it down to the innards, to reveal a sordid underbelly, rife with covetous thoughts, but well concealed behind a glistening veneer. A real original, enjoy Courtship’s thoughtful interpretation of Chad Valley’s decadent, indulgent sound…

Chad Valley – Now That I’m Real (Courtship Remix) by CASCINE

Now That I’m Real (How Does It Feel?) from chad valley on Vimeo.

Miroir – So fewer particles scatter EP

Posted on June 12, 2011 by jon @ aerial noise

Build’s “Palm Tree” might be one of my all time favorites, even better though, was the remix of Minitel Rose’s ’Wild Birds’ that he did with Clancy. The two have spent the last year working together on a variety of disco-electro-synth productions, and recently decided to break-ground on a new project, Miroir. The most endearing feature of the collaboration, for me, has been the retro-synths, but Miroir steers away from the usual 80’s inspired, synth-dominated material offered by Clancy & Build thus far. It feels like they took those dark synthetic groans into Studio 54, and brightened them into something uplifting, that pulsates with deep chugging beats against epic melodies, and eventually climaxes with all the theatrics of a proper disco track. The So fewer particles scatter EP is five breathtaking tracks that run the gamut of emotions, and serves as a surprisingly strong first helping from Miroir, and more moving music from the Clancy/Build brain trust…

Miroir – So fewer particles scatter EP by Holographic People

The New Division – True Lies / Saturday Night

Posted on June 3, 2011 by jon @ aerial noise

The New Division have given us some pretty amazing remixes (John Kunkel’s remix of Toro Y Moi), but little original material since the release of the band’s stellar EP, The Rookie. We are happy to report a pair of fresh originals have arrived via the band’s soundcloud, and the Riverside CA four-piece have continued to use their retro-synths to create some sweepingly beautiful moments on both “True Lies” and “Saturday Night”. I love how unabashedly proud The New Division are of the crisp modernity they bring to sounds initially introduced by the likes of Joy Division, New Order, and Depeche Mode. Currently on our “must watch list”, everything we get from The New Division is highly anticipated, and we will continue to alert you when the guys quietly drop their next gripping original…

The New Division – Saturday Night by The New Division
The New Division – True Lies (Radio Edit) by The New Division

Lonely Trees – Flutter

Posted on May 31, 2011 by jon @ aerial noise

The Los Angeles fivesome LonelyTrees consists of Annalee Fery, Amy Wood, Max Braverman, George Linev, and Christian Stone, and their debut, self-titled LP was released this past March. Specifically based in Silverlake, LonelyTrees was formed by Stone (formerly of Campfire Girls) and Ferey (of Monsters Are Waiting), whose past projects have been rooted in alt-rock with heavy use of dream-pop/shoegaze elements. I keep coming back to a far less hazy Blonde Redhead when trying to draw a comparison, as Lonely Trees choose not to bury their vivid vocals or prominent instrumentals. The debut LP has the feel of early stuff from Robin Pecknold or Arcade Fire, in that it clearly has the potential to be appreciated by a mainstream audience while retaining an inherent credibility. The album is not available digitally yet, but for now check out “Flutter” and the track’s corresponding video, and keep watch for further details regarding the digital availability of the debut LP from Lonely Trees…

Flutter By Lonely Trees

Lonely Trees on Facebook!

Lightning In A Bottle Festival 2011

Posted on May 25, 2011 by jon @ aerial noise

Purveying art, music, and yoga, among other things, Lightning in a Bottle 2011 is set to go down this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in Silverado CA, nestled deep in the rugged, Orange County wilderness. In anticipation for the event, The Do Lab offers a DJ performance spot to the winner of their annual mixtape contest, with this year’s prize going to Sex Pixels, whose, “Follow Me Now To A Place You’ve Only Dreamed Of: THE LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE EXPERIENCE” mixtape can be enjoyed below, and the runners up and honorable mentions from the competition can be found here. The lineup includes the stunningly beautiful Pretty Lights, as well as a DJ set from Thievery Corporation as the event’s Sunday night finale. LA favorites Fool’s Gold will also take the stage on Sunday to close out what promises to be one of the more cathartic festival experiences you’re likely to encounter, so nab your tickets below!

Tickets Available Here!
Follow Me Now To A Place You’ve Only Dreamed Of: THE LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE EXPERIENCE by SEX PIXELS

Kauf – Relocate

Posted on March 28, 2011 by jon @ aerial noise

Kauf has surfaced in Los Angeles with something for lurking down deserted boulevards. “Relocate” sounds like a piece of LA chill-wave with a noir veneer, a darker demeanour, and the gigantic, bouncy bass-line you would hope for. After a day of being pummeled by incandescent rays, when the sun lowers and you’ve got just the right fade, “Relocate” is going to be pretty damn spot on. Cryptic, moaning vocals, and haunting synths perfectly capture the bi-polar nature of Los Angeles, on a night when you bypass the endless nightspots, and elect to cruise the surface streets.

A new track from Kauf will be here in April, an EP is in the works, he’s working on a video for “Relocate”, and when all that is in the rear-view, he plans to DJ and perform around LA. Kauf is one of many talented LA artists creating hazy, tranquil music, seemingly endemic to Southern California, and “Relocate” gives cause for anticipation for April’s EP…

Relocate by Kauf

Houses – Endless Spring (The New Division Fall Mix)

Posted on March 20, 2011 by jon @ aerial noise

One would think Riverside CA’s The New Division would be preoccupied with the buzz surrounding their stellar EP The Rookie, and I’m sure they are, but I’m stuck in the past, fixated on their remix of “Endless Spring” by Houses. We very much enjoyed John Kunkel’s remix of Toro Y Moi’s “Still Sound” , and now he’s got something to get you ready for the time change, and dreamy, blissed-out, sunny days…even though it’s the “Fall Mix”… Nevertheless, I love this track, and it’s a jam for all seasons… An uncomplicated chillwave tranquilizer, (with some sick polyrhythms!), courtesy of The New Division who are pretty damn good at the remix thing, but have a healthy chunk of original material on the way, so check out the The Rookie now so you don’t get too far behind…

PICK UP THE ROOKIE HERE!

Houses – Endless Spring (The New Division Fall Mix) by The New Division

ROBOTANISTS – On/Off The Ledge

Posted on March 19, 2011 by jon @ aerial noise

Project Ethos returned to LA Fashion Week at the Avalon last weekend, but before any model traffic could occupy the runway, local darlings ROBOTANISTS set the mood by debuting new material from their third full-length, Plans In Progress. Comprised of songwriters Sarah Ellquist (vocals & keys) and Daniel DeBlanke (guitar, keys) and rhythm section Keith Boyarsky (bass) and Preston Scott Phillips (drums), things have been busy for ROBOTANISTS. Maybe you haven’t heard about their remarkable feat of giving Radiohead’s stealth LP, The King of Limbs, a track by track reworking just 24 hours after the album was released? That concentrated dose of brilliance comes in addition to the new LP, produced by Danny Kalb, whose resume includes Beck, Karen O and Feist.

The sporadic use of darker, electronic trimmings allow ROBOTANISTS to sustain a dreary tinge that seems to shroud their music. This effectively stifles something that would otherwise be high-spirited, like LA smog quietly and gently concealing the sun’s euphoric radiations. “On/Off The Ledge” is one of the album’s more effervescent moments. The confusion and frustration conveyed in the song’s title is made audible by weaving a hypnotic piano, a thudding bass line, choppy drums, besetting guitars, and Sarah Ellquist’s impassioned vocals. Ms. Ellquist appeared more than comfortable up on that runway, but seemingly any stage will do for ROBOTANISTS, who’ve spent a great deal of the last two years touring, and will continue to do so for the time being, as they hit SXSW. The promotion process for Plans In Progress is far from over, and with an LP full of fetching tracks, whose gigantic choruses will penetrate your subconscious and stay there, ROBOTANISTS look primed to mimic their local admiration on a profoundly larger scale…

Plans In Progress - FULL ALBUM STREAM!

CHECK OUT THE ROBOTANISTS COVER OF RADIOHEAD’S The King of Limbs

ROBOTANISTS – On/Off The Ledge

Youth Sounds – It’s Hell

Posted on March 18, 2011 by jon @ aerial noise

Anything even mildly resembling neo-shoegaze/dreampop will usually cause me to rubberneck as I did during the first ten seconds of “Smoke and Mirrors” by Youth Sounds. The completely self-produced New Orleans ensemble was originally conceived by siblings Federico and Erika Mejia, who developed a love of music at an early age, and participated in church choirs when their parents could not longer afford music lessons. In August of 2010 Youth Sounds debuted the short but sweet Bit Parts EP, after adding additional members Adrian Frye and Taryn Mejia to help fill things out. Last February’s Tomorow And Tomorrow And Tomorrow… was the second formal collection for a group who has garnered a fair amount of praise, despite a reality brief assimilation period. So, as good as the material has been thus far, it might all just be a prelude. “It’s Hell” is undoubtedly (and ironically) the most lighthearted number off Tomorow And Tomorrow And Tomorrow… Erika Mejia’s breathy vocals stir memories of Elizabeth Fraser and Beth Gibbons, and sound amazing on the out of character, guitar driven track. If the progression between The Bit Parts EP, and Tomorow And Tomorrow And Tomorrow… is any indication, there’s a hell of an LP lurking out there…

Youth Sounds – Its Hell

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow… – EP – Youth Sounds

The New Division – The Rookie

Posted on February 21, 2011 by jon @ aerial noise

The New Division was conceived in 2005, when John Kunkel began fooling around with synths in his dorm room after being touched by the usual suspects; Joy Division, New Order, and Depeche Mode. John’s project has since bloomed into something promising, culminating with the release of the band’s stellar EP, The Rookie. A perfectly executed modernization of the dark synthetics against adamant vocals, The Rookie is really an excellent find. Favorites for me included the ultra retro “Devotion”, and the stunningly beautiful “Starfield”. “No Health” is a playful interlude to break up the darker stuff, and hint to the band’s seemingly vast range. The EP is six excellent tracks worth considering, but enjoy “Starfield” if don’t believe me, and also check out John’s spellbinding Toro Y Moi remix, but save it for summer, when things warm up…

PICK UP THE FULL ROOKIE EP HERE!

The New Division – Starfield

Toro Y Moi – Still Sound (John Kunkel New Division Remix) by The New Division

Sanjo – Pretty Pleas

Posted on February 5, 2011 by adam @ aerial noise

Sanjo introduced himself to us this week and wow, are we ever lucky. The track he sent us is called Pretty Pleas. It’s an exciting new epic instrumental that is captivating to anyone who enjoys soft and sensual synth beats. Absolutely great for long drives or putting your day on pause. Sanjo’s production is damn good. Thanks Sanjo.

Listen and download more Sanjo via his Soundcloud here!

Sanjo – Pretty Pleas

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Maps (Cosmonaut Grechko Version)

Posted on January 27, 2011 by jon @ aerial noise

As they prepare for a tour to celebrate their first decade together, I’d imagine it’s going to be a minute before we hear any new music from national treasure Karen O and her Yeah Yeah Yeahs . It’s Blitz! was a great record, but in the mean time we need people like Victor Klyuchnikov, AKA Cosmonaut Grechko to step in and give us something fresh, such as his remix of the YYY’s essential, and hipster make out song, “Maps”.

Off his Pilot Radio Guest Mix, the classically trained Russian disco producer turns the heavy heartbreaker into something playful, free and easy. I love the fractured and inconsistent layering that never gets heavy enough to be taken seriously, and never allows Miss O’s tragic lyrics to really gain traction. The Cosmonaut has turned a classic indie-ballad into something you can fly your kite to, and the Pilot Radio Guest Mix also features the great remix of Druma Kina‘s Walking Away that we’ve mentioned previously, and is definitely worth looking into…

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Maps (Cosmonaut Grechko version) by Cosmonaut Grechko

Cosmonaut Grechko – Pilot Radio Guest Mix @Steve Navaro, Voice Of NuDisco radioshow, 22/01/2011 by Steve Navaro