Current Presents The Involve Records North American Tour: Detroit
Aspen(Involve Records, New Zealand) Live PA
Signer(Involve Records, New Zealand) Live PA
Isol(Involve Records, New Zealand) Live PA
Bill Vanloo(Chromedecay, Detroit) Live PA
Doors are at 8pm, and admission is $7, this is an all ages show.
The Detroit Contemporary Gallery is located at:
5141 Rosa Parks Boulevard, Detroit USA
For directions and gallery information call, write or visit:
(313)898-4ART
http://detroitcontemporary.com/
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
The Press Release for this tour is presented below.
Thanks,
Michael Taylor
Involve Records (NZ) North American Tour May 2001
Who are Involve?
Involve records bring the brightest stars of New Zealand electronica,
offering a fresh perspective of non-glitch pop beauty and electro-melodics.
Involve was set-up in 1998 in harbour capital Wellington by Bevan Smith, who
pulled together a bunch of friends and self confused geeks. Involve has
quickly established a reputation as a label to watch along side the likes of
City Central Offices (Berlin, Manchester), Morr Music and Carpark Records
(NYC) Artists on Involve share a love of warmth and intensity in music
whether that be a major 7 chord on a 1972 Gibson les Paul or minor stab on a
1999 Waldorf Microwave XT.
Label boss Bevan Smith (Aspen and Signer) and mastering technologist Clinton
Mitchell Francis (Isol, All the Pretty Things) are interested in the
subtleties of the modern sound of electronica and it's fusion with current
popular styles, Pop, Indie, Dub and Techno. That's not to say you'll hear
explicit copying, but the process or treatments used in these genres.
Their live show consists of synced Laptop Hijinx combined with lush vocal
treatments and simultaneous feedback mutation of samples and rhythms.
Elements of groove, improvisation, soundscapes and manipulation tweaked in
real-time.
Current Releases
The latest Aspen release 'Music from Passing Cars" has been welcomed with
loving arms by the electronic music communities both in his resident UK,
Europe and the US.
Following a successful tour of Europe late last year, with dates in Berlin,
Hamburg, Netherlands, Antwerp, and France with Jake Mandell and Maurmari,
Aspen is now working in the UK and has appeared at one of London's leading
showcases for electronic music (Smallfish.co.uk) and is preparing to play at
the UK's most credible festival the Big Chill's Enchanted Garden.
What the Press Say????
ASPEN: Music From Passing Cars CD (INVOLVE)
New Zealand's Involve label (on temporary exile in the UK at the moment)
return with yet another eye-opener from label boss Bevan Smith. This is the
second LP from Aspen and comes not long after the fantastic 'Sugar and
Spice' EP for Emanate. This is downtempo territory - lush multi-layered
harmonies with a signature electroid sound. While Involve's blinding
'Mandrake' LP went into slightly housey territory, Aspen returns to more
electronic listening atmospherics. Surely it must have occured to some of
you by now that with a catalogue as varied as the works of Signer, Isol,
Mandrake, Aspen and Jet Jaguar, that there is a serious talent on display
here...one that requires your attention. RECOMMENDED.
Pelicanneck.com, Manchester UK
LOVELY SUBTLE AND MINIMAL SOUNDS FROM ASPEN (AKA BEVAN SMITH). LUSH
MELODIES, WARM BEATS, AND AN OVERAL DEPTH - SHINE THROUGH. THIS IS QUITE
BEAUTIFUL. (IT'S A CRYING SHAME THAT THE PASSING CARS ON OLD STREET DON'T
HAVE SOUNDS LIKE THESE EMINATING FROM THEM!)
Smallfish.co.uk, London
Aspen 'Music from passing cars' 2001
Both regular and uncertain, the rhythms that caught aspen's ears during
those long drives from Wellington to Titahi Bay (Porirua) and beyond (New
Plymouth, Taranaki). During this time aspen composed himself a soundtrack to
drive by. 'Music from passing cars' isn't an exact representation of this,
but it evokes the same feelings of escapism/release. Phrases and melodies
are overrun and
cycled endlessly as trees, pastures, and curves pass by. Rhythms and space
don't quite match up. Sometimes a phrase lasts for too long, other times
things pass before they might be noticed. There's a live feel throughout and
evidence that aspen can't really play, but then you who can when you're
stuck in that place between home and destination and home.
NZ Pavement Magazine
"Harmonies that make your heartflaps flap in a jolly rythm, a guitar here
and there, aspen's electronic drumkit, lots of funny turned backwards
sounds, and great piano bits. Music from passing cars is a fantastically
layered and laid-back piece of music. Everybody needs it."
Thaddi Hermman. De:Bug Magazine (translated from German)
"Music from passing cars' continues an ongoing fascination of the
relationships between landscape, memory, maps and journeys. A musical
expression that goes way back to earliest compositions. Proof, as if any
were needed, that while the tools may have changed we still look to music to
make sense of the world around us."
Andy Greenman. Skinny, Xlr8R, On Magazine
All the pretty Things Involve05
All the pretty things 2000
What has emerged is a truly deep, intricate and moving body of music which
rewards with patience. Comparisons can be made from the ambience of Thomas
Heckmann, Jocham Papp to the modal stirrings of Seefeel and shoegaze bands
such as Slowdive. This is another monumental release on NZs most important
electronic label.
Grant Smithies. NZ Sunday Star Times.
Never judge a book, or CD, by its cover, unless it looks like this. The
Pretty Things cover hints at that liminal zone somewhere between
techno-graphics and organic structures. Its an apt representation of the
sounds which New Zealand's Clinton Francis crafts. Pretty things is part
informed by processed silicon overkill and perfect production values
(Francis is studying for an MA in production) and partly comprised of deep,
textural forms one can only find in nature. Francis creates a unique beauty
built using the tools that generate the promise of a technological future,
but ultimately conjures up sometimes only too human feelings and thoughts.
Are we evolving or involving?
Andy Greenman. Skinny, Xlr8R, On Magazine.
Previous Releases
Aspen 'album' 1998
Album is a primer to Smith's sonic agenda which was inspired by music for
and beyond the dancefloor. This duality coming from his love for guitar
bands, (like Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine); the post-dance envriotronics
of labels like Fat Cat and Warp; and artists like the Aphex Twin. When fused
together these influences create ambisonics-lush, hypnotic soundscapes
underpinned by electro rhythms. Exactly the sound that greets anyone who
takes the trouble to search out and purchase his second full length
recording, also the first Involve release; 'Are you that retail snob?'.
Aspen 'Are you that retail snob?' 1999
The album is held together by warm organic textures of analogue synths,
layers of effects and top rate production. It was greeted with a raft of
praise from the US and UK IDM (intelligent dance music) scenes. Definitely
one for the liminal zone that lies between late nights and early mornings.
It has recently been repressed by Surgery Records in Australia, nice.
Signer 'Giving it up to feel effected' 2000
Top NZ producer Bevan Smith returns under the signer guise producing an
album of tracks as 'experiments in the movement of ambient music'. The music
is deep, bass heavy feeds through shifting textures both minimalist and
lovely.Inspirations are gained from the Berlin dub-techno scenes and there
exists the same serenity and beauty as produced in last involve releases.
'Giving it up' is about a place or your mind where you can retreat from the
world.
Andrew Duke's number 1 for May http://techno.ca/cognition/emay00.htm
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