Last July, when Altered Zones was just a few weeks old, Matt Mondanile of Ducktails and Real Estate sent in a guest post on Tomutonttu, the schizoid electronic solo project of Kemialliset Ystävät's Jan Anderzen. Word just came in that Mondanile has started his own record label, New Images, which is 100% independent, and will be kicking off with a 12" from the Finnish musician in late June. "Donovan," below, is a colorful smorgasbord of polyrhymic drum patter, tinny string samples, and flyaway ear candy. You might think that its only unifying logic principle is its own hyperactivity, until it tunnelvisions into a woodsy groove. --Emilie Friedlander, Altered Zones
Elävänä planeetalla 12" is out June 25th via New Images. Below, a video trailer for the album courtesy Anderzen himself. A Ducktails' Killing The Vibe 12" is also in the works for the label, capturing a live performance with Spectrals in Leeds
--Previously:
Field Day announced the initial round of artists that will be gracing the stage at London's Victoria Park on August 6th today, gathering together a motley crew of beat-making producers, indie rock stalwarts, and everything in between. The intrepid John Cale heads the bill, with new Software mastermind Dan Lopatin delivering his unique brand of psyched-up electronica as Oneohtrix Point Never and appearances by AZ faves Ariel Pink, Ducktails, and Hype Williams. The list is deep, with Mount Kimbie, Actress and Chicago kraut-jazz-everything legends Tortoise. -- Daniel Gottlieb
Head over to the Field Day website for the full line-up and ticketing info. Or, if you have a baby shower to attend on August 6th, look below for a brief assortment of sounds you will be missing out on.
MP3: Oneohtrix Point Never: "Pelham Island Road"
Brookyln via Michigan sample-lover Elk adds some literal arcade dynamics to one of our favourite janglers from Ducktails' poppiest album yet. Elk adds more layers to the song, bringing ultra spacious tiled-room ambience, reverberant vocal mumblings, and someone's conversation leaking in. Elsewhere (on his just-released debut album) he mixes "electronic pop, Philip Glass samples, tropicalia, shoegaze, and flashes of the cerebral," but this one's pure afternoon bliss, subtly building on the Duck's refracted pastorilia. (via Rose Quartz)
MP3: Ducktails: "In The Swing (Elk Remix)"
Elk's debut album Let's Get Married is out now on Shape Up Records
Ducktails is raising money via Kickstarter to get his recent collaboration with Panda Bear, "Killin the Vibe", on wax. The 12" will feature two new tracks from the duck, as well as another rendition of the song featuring Spectrals, who backed him up on his recent UK tour. Donate enough and you get all kinds of limited edition and personalized duck stuff.
And while we're at it, check one of our all-time favorite Ducktails jams from way back in oh-ten:
MP3: Ducktails: "Hamilton Road"
Grab Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics from Woodsist
New York folk family band Woods will be going on tour with hypnagogist Ducktails starting early February. Woods will be traveling as a 3-piece, playing mostly acoustic and previewing some new songs off of their next LP due later this year. Ducktails will be supporting with their latest Woodsist effort, Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics, coming out next week. --Ric Leichtung, Altered Zones
MP3: Ducktails: "Hamilton Road"
02-02 Burlington, VT - Monkey House *
02-03 Portland, ME - Apohadion *
02-04 New York, NY - Monster Island Basement *
02-07 Philadelphia, PA - Chapel at First Unitarian Church *
02-08 Baltimore, MD - Golden West *
* w/ Ducktails
03-14 Hare & Hounds - Birmingham
03-15 The Deaf Institute - Manchester
03-16 Bush Hall - London
03-17 La Maison des Musiques - Brussels
03-18 Cafe de la Danse - Paris
03-19 Klub Radar @ Tivoli - Utrecht
03-20 Vera - Groningen
03-21 Comet Club - Berlin
03-22 Molotow - Hamburg
03-23 Loppen - Copenhagen
03-24 Pusterviksbaren - Gothenburg
03-35 Revolver - Oslo
03-26 Club What We Do Is Secret @ Strand - Stockholm
03-27 Kuudes Linja - Helsinki
Chūbu region, Honshū, Japan (img credit= Matt Mondanile)
By Jenn Pelly
Long a breeding ground for J-Pop and hi-fi noise, Japan would seem, at first glance, an unlikely destination for lo-fi pop bands from the American Northeast. But that’s where Real Estate and Woods went last month, following an invitation by Tokyo promotion group Contrarede and indie label Plancha. In addition to eating udon and gazing at Mount Fuji, the bands played 300-capacity rock clubs in Tokyo and Osaka, visited records stores that had Underwater Peoples releases on display, and stumbled into a bar where a DJ was spinning Matrix Metals at 2 a.m. Intrigued by Tokyo’s indie culture, AZ caught up with Real Estate drummer Etienne Duguay at his home, Brooklyn DIY space Market Hotel, to talk Japan and time travel. Then we dialed guitarist Matt Mondanile-- a few hours before he moved to Greenpoint from Ridgewood, NJ-- for more on the trip, and some words about his forthcoming Ducktails record on Woodsist.
AZ: What prompted the trip, and how did you hook up with your tour guides?
Matt: This small label in Japan called Plancha, a division of a bigger label called Art Union, offered to put out the Real Estate and Woods records over there, and they asked us to tour there together. This guy Oshi put them out. He did a couple of other things too, like a record by Dustin Wong from Ponytail. This guy Tak runs a promotional company called Contrarede; he drove us around and organized the shows.
Etienne: Oshi was the man. A lot of bands come through with Tak. Right after us was the Bon Iver band. They’re also bringing Deerhunter, Ariel Pink and Blonde Redhead over.
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